


I'll Protect You

by WhoTheBuckIsStucky



Category: GOT7
Genre: Everyone x everyone basically, Fluff, Hybrids, Lmao what is this, M/M, Other, Porn With Plot, Smut, Threesome - M/M/M, probably foursome???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2018-07-10 20:04:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 126,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7004479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhoTheBuckIsStucky/pseuds/WhoTheBuckIsStucky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jaebum is the son of a rich CEO. His mother is insisting he take a few hybrids in, because she's worried since he doesn't have any friends at university. He wants to choose the hybrids carefully, because he wants to give a few hybrids a good life, when most of society treats them really bad. Soon, he finds Mark, Jackson, Jinyoung, Bambam, Yugyeom and Youngjae, and they all live happily together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> In case you didn't read the tags, this is a hybrid!au. Hybrids, in the au, are discriminated against and treated often like livestock. There's like minimal violence though. Mostly just me being a trash bag :D  
> Also! Quick disclaimer here: Some of their parents are made out to be quite horrible in this fic and I just want to say that I am not implying that any of their parents hurt them, abuse them, or neglect them. Their parents in this story are quite different from the boys’ parents in real life. Mostly they’re just plot devices (to kinda break the 4th wall a bit and take you all behind the scenes of my writing haha). But I just wanted to make that clear. I don’t want anyone to think I am horrible, or start believing that, say, Mama and Papa Tuan are horrible, because I’m not and they’re definitely not!! I love Got7’s parents honestly they’re all so sweet (especially Mama and Papa Tuan)~ Okay that’s all, happy reading! <3

Jaebum blinked awake, and immediately checked his watch. There was a moment of sheer panic, when he read the numbers “10:36”, which subsided when he realized it was Saturday. Heart still pounding, he slowly lowered his feet from the mattress to the plush, carpeted floor, pushing himself into a standing position.

White light flickered through thin cotton curtains. Jaebum stumbled lazily to the window, and pushed the curtains aside. Squinting through the late morning light, he leaned close to the glass, watching as a leaf detached itself from a tree and settled in the swimming pool below. With a jolt, he realized autumn was upon him. School had been in session for a week already. He couldn’t really say he enjoyed university very much. He had hoped people would be a little less immature, and a little more openminded, but he supposed, in retrospect, that he shouldn’t have expected so much. The university he went to was supposedly liberal, and allowed hybrids in, even on scholarship, but that didn’t mean the other students treated them any better. 

Jaebum was lucky. His parents were kinder than most people. They believed hybrids deserved just as many rights as everyone else. They didn’t take hybrids, except one, who his mother treated as a daughter. She was older than Jaebum, and had already graduated university two years before. He didn’t see much of his noona, but they always send each other gifts on their birthdays and Christmas.

Lately, Jaebum’s mother had suggested that he take in a couple of hybrids, if for no other reason than to keep them from being taken by more traditional families, where they would surely be mistreated. Jaebum suspected it was also because she was worried he got lonely in the house his father had bought for him. It was rather large, and empty, and Jaebum did get lonely at times, but he never would have admitted it. In any case, he decided his mother’s insistence was excuse enough to find himself a hybrid or two. He knew he would have to starting picking a few up soon, before they were all gone. Most of the non-hybrids at his university, were, like himself, very rich and capable of paying any amount to get the hybrid they wanted. Jaebum would need to act fast. 

He wanted to make sure that he chose those who really needed him. If a hybrid had a loving family and a good life already, or was a type that was higher up, like a hound or a bird, Jaebum wouldn’t want to choose them because they would be more likely to have a happy life without him. He was looking for ones that were turned away by their families, bullied in class, and were types that were more looked down upon, like cats and snakes. 

Jaebum turned this all over in his head as he ate a quiet breakfast. He tried to do some homework, but it didn’t go over well because he kept on having to reread paragraphs of his textbook. He dozed off in the early afternoon hours, and when he awoke, found it was already getting dark. He fixed himself dinner and ran over a list of what he would need to do to get his house ready for another inhabitant. He was guessing he’d have to bring the hybrids to his house without warning, so he might as well be prepared.

He spent the rest of the night putting fresh sheets on a few of the beds in the guest rooms on the lower level, and stocking the bathrooms with toilet paper, towels, and toothbrushes. He called in for more groceries, and then picked out some clothes from his own closet that he could give the hybrids if they were to need it. He flung a glance at his open textbook, and, deciding he would deal with homework the next day, curled up in his bed and fell asleep.

\----

Jaebum kept his eyes peeled the next few days. On Wednesday, his macroeconomics course assigned him a group project. Partners were not assigned, and many people sprang to their friends. The small group of hybrids in the class looked around with frightened eyes. Jaebum noticed a particularly skittish looking one. He had pink-blonde hair and a cute face. He seemed to be a cat of some sort, with soft black ears poking out over his thick hair, which would explain why he looked like he was ready to be slapped at any moment. Jaebum scooped up his stuff, and crossed the room. If he remembered correctly, his name was Mark Tuan, and he was very quiet but very smart. 

As Jaebum approached, Mark flinched back. 

“Hey,” Jaebum said. “I’m Jaebum. Would you like to be my partner?”

Mark looked up at him with wide eyes. “Me?” he asked, quickly averting his gaze to the ground. “Of-of course.”

“Great,” Jaebum said. “You’re Mark, right?”

“Yes, sorry,” Mark confirmed, eyes still trained on the ground. 

Jaebum slid into a seat. “We can sit here?” Mark nodded, and sat back down.

Jaebum noticed he hadn’t even picked up his things, like he expected no one to choose him as a partner. He also noticed that Mark was sitting as far from Jaebum as he could manage, without falling out of his seat.

“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” Jaebum said softly. “I’m not going to hurt you, I promise. I just want to work together with you.” Mark still looked unsettled. “Hey. Look at me.”

Mark shook his head, his gaze flicking up, and then back down again. “I… shouldn’t.”

Jaebum frowned lightly. “Why not?”

Mark’s black cat ears twitched. “Because I’m… me. And you’re you.”

“Have you been claimed yet?” Jaebum asked, an idea forming.

“No,” Mark replied. “If I was, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

Jaebum slipped a black bracelet out of his pocket and held out his hand. “I claim you now, then. Whenever you want, we can go get your things. I’ll arrange a meeting with your parents, to pay them off. What day works for you?”

Mark jumped, letting Jaebum fasten the bracelet around his skinny wrist. “What day works for you?” he stuttered out.

“Any day,” Jaebum said. “And you can still come to classes, of course, as long as you want to.” His mother would be pleased. As soon as class was out, he would phone her. She would undoubtedly want to meet Mark. “I’ll explain more later; now’s not really the time.”

Mark looked shell-shocked.

“What is it? Are you all right?” Jaebum asked.

“It’s just—" Mark let out a nervous giggle. “I never thought— I’m a black leopard hybrid,” he explained. “And no one wants a cat. I figured I’d end up going to an auction house, and then a brothel. I was lucky enough to put that on hold, come here, but I always— it just seemed so inevitable. My parents… don’t want me. I don’t blame them—“

“Hey.” Jaebum touched Mark’s hand. “I want a cat. You’re going to be okay. I’m not going to sell you to anybody. You’ll be with me as long as you want to be with me, okay?”

Mark pressed his lips together and nodded.

“Okay.” Jaebum turned to the textbook in front of him. “Now, about this project.”

* * *

“Hello?” Jaebum said into the phone after a female voice answered. “Mrs. Tuan?”

“Speaking.”

“My name is Im Jaebum. My father is the CEO of Im Corp?”

“Oh!” Recognition flooded into the voice at the other end. “Yes, we know Im Corp. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I’m at university with your son, and I would like to take him as my hybrid. He would leave home and come live with me. I will, of course, be paying you. Do I have your consent?”

“Wha— oh, yes! Yes! I— What day would you like to come over? Mark left some of his things here, I don’t know if he wants them—“

“I’ll bring him with to pick his stuff up when my parents and I come to discuss pricing,” Jaebum said, cringing at the way they were talking about Mark. “Does this Saturday around ten in the morning work?”

“Yes, of course. Thank you very much, Mr. Im,” Mrs. Tuan gushed.

“Thank you,” he replied. “I’ll see you Saturday.” Jaebum hung up and rounded on Mark.

“I’m very sorry,” Jaebum said. “I hate talking about hybrids that way—like you’re an animal, or a piece of meat. I can’t believe she—”

“It’s okay,” Mark said quickly. “I’m used to it.”

Jaebum shook his head, and dialed his own mother. “I’m still sorry,” he insisted as the phone rang.

“Honey?”

“Umma, I found a hybrid,” Jaebum said, unable to keep a small smile off his face. “His name is Mark, and he’s a black leopard, and I just called his parents. I arranged to meet with them at their house this Saturday at 10. Is that okay for you and Dad?”

“Yes. Dad has the weekend open for once. I can’t wait to meet him! Is he nice?”

“Yes, Mom,” Jaebum said. “Very.” He noticed Mark shifting. “I think I have to go,” he said. “It’s really good to talk to you. I’ll see you Saturday, okay? I’ll send you the address.”

“Okay. I love you.”

“Love you too.” Jaebum turned his phone off and slid it into his back pocket. “Okay. It’s all set.”

Mark nodded. “When will I move in with you?” he asked quietly.

“Whenever. Where are you now?” Jaebum asked.

“In one of the scholarship dorms.”

“Oh, so one of the not terribly nice ones that they give to hybrids in the name of being generous,” Jaebum confirmed. Mark eyed him. Jaebum swore he saw the corner of his mouth quirk up for just a second. “You can move in tonight, if you want.”

“Are you sure?” Mark said. “I don’t want to cause you any problems— I can wait if you need to set things up at your house or something—“

“Everything’s already set up,” Jaebum assured him. “Besides, I want to show you around my house, so you can get used to it before you really move in. Are you okay to come over tonight?”

“Y-yeah,” Mark said. He looked a little dazed. “And that way we can work on our project, too.”

“Okay.” Jaebum flashed him a smile. “I’m walking distance from the front gates. Will you meet me at the front gates at 4 this afternoon?”

“Yes.” Mark bowed slightly.

Jaebum nodded to himself. “I’ll see you then. I have another class.” He waved, and then walked away, suddenly feeling a bit giddy. He had his first hybrid. Sure, Mark was skittish and scared. Society’s views on hybrids had been ingrained into his head since day one—Jaebum could tell that he thought of himself as much lesser than other humans, and even other hybrids. But he was determined to change that. He had a feeling Mark was actually really fun, if only he could get past the fact that he thought he didn’t deserve fun. He really hoped he would.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark settles in :))

Mark was right on time, scurrying to his side with an overlarge backpack at 3:59. Jaebum smiled at him and gestured for him to follow.

“Do you need help with that?” he asked, nodding at the backpack.

“No, I’m okay.” Mark said. He was walking much slower than Jaebum, so Jaebum tried to slow his normally fast strides. 

“How was your day?” he asked as they fell into step beside each other.

“Mine? Good,” Mark replied absently. Jaebum noticed Mark fingering the bracelet. 

“Hey,” he said. “You don’t have to wear that bracelet if you don’t want to—it was really just for ceremonial purposes.”

“No—it’s fine.” Mark wrapped his slender fingers around it, encircling his wrist. “I like it. It makes me really happy.” He looked at Jaebum out of the corner of his eyes. “It’s collars and leashes that I don’t like,” he said quickly, and then flinched like he was expecting to be hit.

“That’s fine,” Jaebum said, deciding to ignore the flinch for now. “I don’t like collars and leashes either. I think it’s dehumanizing. I don’t own any.” He watched as relief fell over all of Mark’s features. “Mark, as my hybrid, you will not be a slave. You do not bow to me, you do not kneel. You’ll be like my little brother. You may address me as Jaebum, as any of my friends would, or Jaebum-hyung if you’re really that uncomfortable with familiarity. We will eat at the same table, share the same food. You will not have to sleep on the floor by my bed—you have your own bedroom with your own bathroom. Mostly, you just keep me company. You will still attend school, and I will provide for you wherever you cannot. Do you understand?"

“Yes.” Mark said in a voice barely above of a whisper. “Thank you.”

“Left here,” Jaebum said before they rounded the corner. Mark let out a gasp.

“This is where you live?” he asked, taking in the white-walled mansion.

“Yes,” Jaebum said. “My father’s idea, not mine. It’s nice, though.”

“It’s big,” Mark said. “No one else lives with you?”

“No,” Jaebum said.

“It must be lonely.”

“Yeah, well…” Jaebum trailed off. “I guess that’s kind of why I have you.”

Mark blushed and beamed.

“Anyway.” Jaebum nodded toward his house. “Let’s go in so you can set that backpack down.” They both climbed up to the front porch, and then ducked inside once Jaebum had unlocked the door. “Here, follow me. Your room is just down here.” He lead Mark down the hall, past the kitchen, and to a line of guest bedrooms. “You can go ahead and take the first one.”

“Thank you,” Mark said, pushing the door open and dropped his bag at his feet in surprise. “It’s so nice,” he said, taking in his surroundings. “I mean, your whole house is nice, but I figured the hybrid quarters would be more… I don’t know. It’s so nice."

“Of course it is,” Jaebum said. “You ought to get a good night’s sleep too. Here—“ he steered Mark to the right. “Bathroom’s just through here. It’s all yours to use. Do you want to settle in at all, or can I take you on a quick tour of the house?”

“A tour would be nice,” Mark said. “I’ll probably get lost.”

“That’s okay,” Jaebum said. “Okay, the guest bedrooms are in this corner of the house because it’s really quiet. See, across the hall are a couple of studies. You can use those whenever you want.” He went back down the way that they came. “Here’s the kitchen,” he said, pointing through the door to their right. “And the stairs are just over here. Upstairs is just my room, a bathroom, my study, and a sort of living room. You’re welcome up there any time.” He turned to Mark. “Do you want to go take a look? Just so you know where I am.”

“Sure,” Mark said.

Jaebum jogged up the stairs with Mark on his heels. “Okay, here’s my room. If you need anything, please feel free to come in. Mostly the door will be slightly ajar, but if it is shut tight, please just knock—loudly.” Jaebum smiled at him. “My study’s right there—same goes for that. And the living room is right down there, and you can crash up here anytime you feel too alone downstairs while I’m working or something. I’ll likely be bringing in more hybrids over the next few weeks so I think you’ll have company.”

“Okay.” Mark looked around. “Am I staying the night tonight?”

“Only if you want to,” Jaebum said.

“I might as well,” Mark said. “I like it here,” he added, and shot a shy smile at Jaebum. 

“Great,” Jaebum said earnestly. “Are you hungry? I can cook something.”

“I should cook—“ Mark began.

“No, it’s okay. My stove’s kind of touchy. I don’t want you to burn yourself.” Mark was still visibly uncomfortable. “You could help, though, if you wanted, to wash some vegetables or something.”

Mark nodded, and they descended the stairs in silence. Jaebum pulled out some ingredients from the fridge, and together they made dinner. After a while, Jaebum just shooed Mark to a seat and did rest of the cooking himself. He dished out portions for the both of them and seated himself across Mark. 

“Hyung?” Mark said quietly after a couple minutes. “What if… what if your family doesn’t offer a high enough sum for me?”

“That won’t happen,” Jaebum said. “We’ll be able to pay whatever your parents ask. I doubt they’ll ask too high a price— it’s unbefitting to ask a lot, because it seems like begging.” Jaebum met Mark’s eyes. “But you’re worth a lot. You know that, right?”

Mark blushed and shook his head. “You’re kind.”

“I’m telling the truth,” Jaebum said. “You’re a good person, Mark. I would pay anything to keep you, now that I know you. I can’t throw you back out in the world. That’s not fair.”

“Thank you, “ Mark squeaked, his ears twitching. Jaebum laughed.

* * *

“You’re okay down here?” Jaebum reconfirmed. Mark nodded. “Okay. I’m getting up at seven. If you’re not already up, I’ll come get you. If you’re up at seven and I’m not, please come wake me.” 

“Of course,” Mark agreed. “Goodnight.”

“Night.” Jaebum turned and headed up the stairs, smiling to himself. Mark was nice. Despite being beaten down by society, by his classmates, by his parents since day one, he was still so nice. Jaebum figured the only reason he hadn’t been claimed yet was because he was skinny and a cat. 

Jaebum took a quick shower, threw on a pair of old shorts and a t-shirt, and collapsed into bed. It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep. 

* * *

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!” Jaebum jolted awake, shocked out of sleep by a yell. “AHHHHH!”

It was coming from downstairs. Jaebum flopped out of bed, nearly face-planting on the ground, and tripped all the way down the stairs, skittering around the railing and racing down the hall to Mark’s room, where the shouts were slowly getting quieter.

He slammed the door open and stood, chest heaving, in the entryway. Mark was trembling and possibly breathing even harder than Jaebum, curled up in the corner with his knees to his chest. 

“Hey,” Jaebum said breathlessly. “You okay?”

“Just a nightmare,” Mark said, and then scrambled out of bed, throwing himself at Jaebum’s feet. “I’m so sorry for waking you, hyung, please don’t be mad. I won’t do it again, I—“

“Hey!” Jaebum crouched, and then gently pulled Mark to his feet, letting him rest on Jaebum’s chest when it didn’t seem like he could stand by himself. “Hey. It’s okay. I’m not mad, see? I’m not mad. I’m glad it was just a nightmare.”

“You must think I’m so stupid,” Mark mumbled into the front of Jaebum’s t-shirt. “And now I’m getting your shirt wet.”

Jaebum laughed. “It’s okay. I don’t think you’re stupid. Everyone gets nightmares. Me too.”

Mark laughed weakly.

“Are you okay now?” Jaebum asked, pulling back and peering at Mark’s face.

“Ummm… yes…” Mark said.

“If not, you could come upstairs and sleep with me. I get it, my house is big. It’s scary.”

“I couldn’t—“ Mark sputtered. 

“I don’t mind,” Jaebum said. “I just want to make sure you get a good night’s sleep.”

“I don’t want to be trouble—“

“You aren’t,” Jaebum said. “Yes or no?”

“…yes,” Mark whispered. “I’d like that.”

“Okay.” Jaebum nodded. “Hey, maybe grab a pillow. I tend to hog them all.”

Mark let a giggle past his lips, and hopped over to pluck a pillow off his bed. Jaebum reached out for Mark’s hand, and guided him through the dark house. Jaebum knew the house inside and out, and cautioned Mark about the edge of the fifth step, which stuck out a little further than the rest. They made it to Jaebum’s room safe and sound.

Jaebum jumped smoothly onto his bed, and then helped the shorter clamber up next to him. Jaebum threw the blanket over then both and lay back with a soft sigh. He felt Mark shaking.

“You cold or what?”

“A little. Still a little scared,” Mark admitted, and laughed at himself in a crumbling way.

Jaebum smiled. “If you’re okay with it, c’mere.” He raised an arm, letting Mark scoot in to his chest. “Hyung will protect you, okay? Go to sleep. I’ll still be here in the morning.”

Mark made a noise of content, curling into Jaebum’s chest. Jaebum rested his arm over Mark’s shoulder, and closed his eyes.

* * *

Jaebum woke to loud beeping by his ear. He half-rolled, groaning, and smacked the alarm clock into silence. 

Mark made a muffled squeaking sound. Jaebum looked down at him, having forgotten he’d been sleeping beside him that entire night. The smaller boy stretched, yawning like a cat, his black ears perking up as he opened his eyes.

“Morning,” Jaebum said. 

Mark sat up, blinking sleep out of his eyes. “Morning.”

“Breakfast?” Jaebum asked, standing and going to the window to pull back the shades. “It’ll probably just be cold cereal. I usually save real breakfast foods for the weekend.”

“That’s fine,” Mark said, yawning again. “I like cereal.”

Jaebum looked over at him, and realized Mark was wearing a hugely oversized shirt. It didn’t seem like he was wearing anything else, which was fine, since the shirt reached almost to his knees. One shoulder had almost slipped off, revealing a pale collarbone. Jaebum recognized the shirt as one of the ones he threw in the closet in Mark’s room. It had been much too large on Jaebum, and Jaebum was a lot bigger than Mark. Jaebum failed to stifle a laugh.

“What?” Mark looked up, wide-eyed.

“Nothing, just— that’s my shirt, and it’s really big on you.” Jaebum pressed his lips together, eyes crinkling at the corners. 

Mark looked down at himself, and laughed too. “I guess so, huh? I like it.” He hugged his shoulders, the sleeve slipping lower still. “It’s comfy.”

“Sure.” Jaebum pulled on a bathrobe and threw a smaller one at Mark. “Take this. I don’t want you to catch cold.”

“Thank you, hyung,” Mark said, shrugging it over his bony shoulders. He tottered out of the room in the oversized bathrobe, almost tripping over a string. Jaebum followed him out and down the stairs. 

They ate breakfast in sleepy silence. Jaebum made a cup of coffee for each of them, which Mark accepted gratefully, cupping the steaming mug with both hands. After washing the dishes up, Mark slipped back to his own room to get changed. They emerged from their respective rooms not too long after in school clothes. Together, they made their way to their morning classes.

* * *

The next few days went on this way. Jaebum insisted Mark sleep with him, at least until he got more hybrids to keep him company downstairs. Mark got more settled in, got more used to Jaebum treating him like a friend or a little brother. 

On Saturday, they woke up at eight. Jaebum’s father was sending a company car to pick both of them up. Jaebum’s mother would be riding in that car too, because she was desperate to meet Mark before they got to his parents’ house. Mark made the coffee that morning, pushing Jaebum’s mug over with a soft smile. They got dressed in their respective rooms and met up at the front door.

“Hyung?” Mark asked, fidgeting. “My parents… will be confused… if I’m not at least wearing a collar.”

“I don’t own any collars,” Jaebum said. “We’ll see what my mom has to say about this, but I don’t know what to tell you, really.”

“I’m just afraid they won’t let me stay with you if they think you won’t be… oh, I don’t know. Putting me to good use?”

“I’m not using you,” Jaebum said, slightly hurt.

“No, no, I know, I wasn’t saying you were!” Mark said hastily. “But… that’s what they’ll think.”

“I’ll ask my mother,” Jaebum assured him. “She’s better at these things.” He wrapped his arm around Mark’s shoulders, tugging him close to his body. “I won’t let them take you away from me, okay?”

Mark nodded, relaxing into Jaebum’s side.

A delicate honk sounded from the driveway. The two boys detached, and Jaebum pulled the door open, ushering Mark out first. Jaebum’s mother was halfway out of the car. She leapt up the steps to the front porch, reaching her arms out to Mark.

“Hello, darling!” she said, holding him by his upper arms at arms length for a moment before pulling him into a warm hug. Mark squeaked in surprise. “Oh, sorry. I’m delighted you’ll be joining our family.”

“We’re n-not getting married,” Mark pointed out, flushing. Jaebum burst out laughing. 

“But you’ll be like my brother, right?” he asked Mark. To his mother, he added, “You know he’s actually older than me?”

“Really!” she said. “Well, height isn’t everything, I suppose. Let’s get in the car, we don’t want to keep your parents waiting.”

They all clambered in, Jaebum’s mother in the front seat, Jaebum and Mark in the back. 

“Mom,” Jaebum began as they pulled out into the street. “Mark’s worried that his parents will worry if he doesn’t have a collar. I don’t want to put a collar on him because that feels wrong—“

“And I don’t particularly want to wear one, either,” Mark added in. “But I’m worried that—they’ll think you’re pampering me, or something, and won’t let me go with Jaebum-hyung—I don’t know, I just don’t want it to happen.”

“My honest opinion is that they won’t mind. In their eyes, we’re paying them to take you off their hands. From the sound of it, they don’t care what kind of house you’ll be going to.” Jaebum’s mother met Mark’s eyes in the mirror. He nodded stiffly. “Of course, we care, and we want you to be safe and healthy and happy. I don’t think they’re going to stop you from going to any house that will pay them enough money.”

“Okay,” Mark said. Jaebum wrapped an arm around his shoulders and jostled him gently, bumping his forehead against Mark’s upper arm fondly. Mark smiled, and cautiously poked Jaebum’s cheek.

Jaebum caught his mother’s eye in the rearview mirror. She smiled, too, and he could see the pride shining through her eyes. He turned his gaze back to Mark, and took his arm off his shoulder and linked it through Mark’s arm instead. Mark leaned into him, shifting to get comfortable. They watched the city pass the windows together.

* * *

Jaebum’s father was waiting for them at the mouth of Mark’s driveway. Their driver dropped them off in front of him, and they all clambered out of the car. 

“Dad,” Jaebum said, grinning and reaching his arms out. 

His father pull him into a rough embrace. “Good to see you,” his father replied before puling away. “And this is Mark?” Mark bowed quickly. Jaebum’s father extended a hand; flustered, Mark took it and shook. “It’s nice to meet you. Jaebum treating you well?” Mark nodded emphatically. “You tell me if he doesn’t, you hear?”

“Dad!” Jaebum exclaimed. Mark laughed.

“Shall we go in, then?“ Jaebum’s mother checked her watch. “It’s nearly ten.”

“Lead the way, Mark,” Jaebum’s father said, gesturing.

“What? Oh, I—okay.” Mark hurried up to the door of the small house and knocked. “妈，是我,” he called through the panel of wood.

The door was pulled open, and a pretty woman in a simple dress was standing behind it. “Ah, Mark! And the Ims. Please—please come in.”

“Thank you so much for having us,” Jaebum’s mother said warmly.

“I hope we aren’t too much trouble,” Jaebum’s father added.

“Oh, no, no, not at all,” Mark’s mother answered immediately. “We’re grateful for your offer to take Mark in.”

Stiff, Jaebum noted. Like Mark is an unproductive cow, and she’s been aching for someone to take him off her hands.

They all followed Mark’s mother into the living room, where Mark’s father was waiting. Mark joined his parents across the table from Jaebum and his family. Jaebum resisted pouting. It felt… wrong to have Mark apart from him now. Mark’s mother brought out tea for everyone, and then they settled down to talk.

“Mark will stay with Jaebum,” Jaebum’s father began, outlining what Mark’s life would be like with Jaebum. “We will provide food, clothes, and housing for Mark, always. Mark will, of course, be allowed to continue his studies at the university.”

“That’s very kind,” Mark’s father said, gratitude forced. 

“And for payment,” Jaebum’s mother picked up. “Mark is very neat and kind, or so Jaebum tells me. We would be willing to pay around 8,000,000 won for Mark.”

“8,000,000?” Mark’s mother gasped. “No, you’re too kind. Mark is really too much trouble—”

“He’s worth it,” Jaebum said softly, seeing red. Too much trouble? Who is she kidding? Mark blushed.

“Are you sure?” Mark’s father asked, trying to hide his surprise.

“Yes,” Jaebum’s father answered. “It’s the least we can do.”

“Why don’t you get all your things together while we iron this out?” Mark’s mother said to Mark.

“I’ll go with,” Jaebum added, standing with Mark. He didn’t want to be stuck watching them fill out boring paperwork. He followed Mark out of the living room, and down the hall. “I can’t believe that,” he fumed as soon as they were out of earshot. “‘Mark is really too much trouble’? Does she even know you?”

“She was just being polite,” Mark said in a small voice.

Jaebum wrapped his arms around Mark. “You are worth so much,” he breathed into the boy’s neck. “You are worth way more than 8,000,000 won. Lives can’t be paid for in money.”

Mark leaned his head back into Jaebum’s shoulder. “Thank you, hyung,” he said. “Those words… they mean a lot to me.” Jaebum felt his heart get trapped in his throat—I bet no one has said something like that to him before. He hugged Mark tighter, burying his face in his hair for a moment, fighting off the urge to press his lips to the top of his head.

“Okay, what do you need to pack?” Jaebum asked, finally pulling away. When Mark didn’t answer right away, Jaebum snuck a peek at his face. Mark was bright red. Jaebum blinked. Oops.

“Um, not much. Just some clothes, I guess…” He pushed open the door to his room, and they entered together. The room was organized, but dusty. Mark grabbed a random box, and began leafing through his belongings.

“Is this you?” Jaebum asked, pointing at a photograph.

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” Mark made a face. “I was such a weird-looking kid.”

“Nah, you were cute,” Jaebum said, picking up the framed family photograph to examine it more closely.

“‘Were’?” Mark gasped, feigning annoyance. “What does that make me now?”

Jaebum eyed him as he set down the photograph. He’s asking for it, he justified to himself as he crossed the room. “Adorable,” Jaebum replied, tickling his sides. Mark yelped and stumbled backwards. The backs of his knees hit the bed and he collapsed onto it, laughing and trying to shove Jaebum’s hands off of him. Jaebum was almost just as out of breath from laughing too, leaning over him, keeping his feet grounded on the floor, Mark’s legs dangling off the bed between Jaebum’s.

“Please—hyung, please, I can’t breathe!” Mark pleaded. Jaebum laughed and stood up straight, giving the poor boy a break. They grinned at each other stupidly, and Mark let a few residual giggles escape his lips.

“I like seeing your smile,” Jaebum said softly, putting two gently fingers under Mark’s chin and tapping lightly. “I’m so glad you’re smiling more.”

“Stop it,” Mark breathed out, eyes wide, blushing again.

Jaebum ticked his neck lightly, and Mark swatted him away, laughing. “Your smile is brighter than the sun!” Jaebum said cheesily.

“Ewwwwwwww!” Mark replied. “No, I need to pack! Get off.”

Jaebum did as he asked, holding things as the boy rushed around the room, throwing his more important possessions into a couple of boxes. 'Get off', he thought to himself. Not ‘get off, hyung’. He’s changing. Jaebum smiled to himself.

* * *

Not too much longer afterwards, the paperwork was signed and squared away and Jaebum was helping Mark carry his boxes to the car that would take them back to Jaebum’s house.

“Bye, Mom, Dad,” Mark said, embracing each of them quickly.

“Thank you very much,” Mrs. Tuan called to Jaebum’s parents.

Jaebum’s mother turned slowly, and cocked her head. “Thank you for your son,” she said gently. Jaebum felt pride shoot out of chest for his mother as Mark made a little noise by his side. He reached blindly for his friend, as his eyes were too busy watching the Tuans’ confused reaction. Mrs. Tuan mouthed the words to herself and Mr. Tuan looked as though Mrs. Im had just struck him.

But Jaebum’s mother just turned away and headed to the car. Mark ducked his head and followed her quickly, Jaebum saying a quick goodbye to his father before scurrying to catch up.

Mark didn’t look at him as he entered the car. Once they pulled out onto the street, Jaebum touched his arm gently. He noticed Mark’s cat ears were pressed back flat against his head and frowned. 

“What?” Mark said.

“Are you okay?”

Mark turned to face him and Jaebum was surprised to see tears on his face. “She thanked you for taking me away. I thought… maybe she would be a little sad to see me go… but…”

“I’m sorry,” Jaebum whispered, unsure of what to do. He opened his arms and Mark tipped forward, clutching at Jaebum’s shirt and sobbing silently into his chest. Jaebum rubbed Mark’s back in what he hoped was a soothing way. “I’m so sorry, Mark.”

“My question is,” Mark said unsteadily as he pulled back, still crying. “Which one of you is right? Maybe she is right. Maybe she and my father are right not to want me. Maybe you guys are just crazy.”

“You know that’s not true!” Jaebum scolded. “I can’t believe she doesn’t want you. I can’t believe she would just turned her son away like that, for some money—“ He reached out and wiped the tears off of Mark’s face with his thumbs. A little jolt went through him, and he just wanted to wrap Mark up in his arms and kiss all his fears away. What the hell, Jaebum? “I won’t do that. Never, okay? You’re safe with me. It’s going to be okay.”

Mark nodded, then turned slightly. “Mrs. Im,” he said.

“Yes?”

“Thank you for saying… what you said. I saw their faces—it affected them. Maybe not a lot, but it was something. Thank you.”

Mrs. Im smiled. “Of course, dear.”

Jaebum reached for Mark’s hand. “Hey,” he said gently. “Cheer up. Are you hungry? We can go out for lunch. What’s your favorite food?”

Mark smiled, sniffling. “I like burgers,” he said.

“Okay. Let’s drop your stuff off at my house, and then we can go for lunch. How’s that sound?”

“Good.” Mark smiled wider. Jaebum squeezed his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos omg I'm honestly really floored. Ah, heads up, the next chapter gets smutty because I'm trash that's all. Thanks again! I hope you like it!


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tbh just gratuitous smut i apologize

They staggered into Jaebum’s house under the weight of the boxes and waved Jaebum’s mother goodbye. Jaebum helped Mark carry his things to his room.

“Oof!” Mark said, placing the third and final box on the floor. “Thank you, hyung.”

“Ready to go? Or do you want to unpack first?” Jaebum asked. 

“Ready to go,” Mark said, eyeing the boxes with distaste. “This can definitely wait.”

“Grab a coat! It’s the afternoon now and it might get cold,” Jaebum warned as he headed to the door.

“Ah, hyung, it’s not that cold!” Mark argued.

“Mark, you will not get sick on my watch!” Jaebum shot back. “Grab a coat.”

“Fine,” Mark pouted, and then bounced up to his side, tail and ears twitching. Jaebum grinned at him and they headed out onto the street.

“There’s a pretty good burger place near here,” Jaebum said. “Are you okay with walking?”

“Yes,” Mark said. “It’s nice out. I like looking at the leaves.”

Jaebum almost squeaked. Mark is so cute, he thought to himself. And dammit, if that makes me gay then gay I will be! He laughed aloud at that.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Jaebum replied. “Just... remembered something.” He smiled down at Mark.

“You have a nice eye smile, hyung,” Mark said, placing his hands on Jaebum’s shoulders and going on his tiptoes. Jaebum held his breath. He realized how close in height they really were then—the real difference was that Mark was so skinny. On his tiptoes, with his ears, Mark was actually taller than Jaebum. Jaebum stuck his tongue out and wiggled it in Mark’s face, and Mark danced away, laughing. Jaebum felt something small bloom in his chest.

They reached the restaurant and Jaebum held the door open for Mark. “Hi, two please!” he said brightly as Mark attempted to discreetly hide his ears.

The waitress’ eyes flicked to Mark’s ears for a brief instant but all she did was grab them a couple of menus and offer them a seat at a window table.

Mark shifted in his seat. “Jaebum-hyung, this is so weird,” he said softly. “No one takes their hybrid out to lunch, and people are staring.”

“It’s fine,” Jaebum said. “Don’t let them bother you, okay? You’re safe with me.” He reached his hand across the table and took Mark’s. “It’s okay."

“Okay,” Mark said shakily.

The waitress took their orders and Mark and Jaebum made small talk, laughing and stealing sips of each other’s drinks. They ate their food happily and Mark told him about how he always went to get burgers with a close childhood friend. Soon, they were done and ready to go.

“Hey, I’m going to use the restroom really quick,” Jaebum said after putting money in the bill folder. “Wait for me here, okay?”

Mark nodded, and Jaebum headed to the bathroom. He used it quickly and washed up and was about to head out when he heard a yell. Panicked, he rushed back into the main restaurant area.

“What’s a little hybrid like you doing here, eating this kind of food?” A bigger waitress was standing—looming—over the table. “This food is for humans, not for you! And you!” She rounded on the other waitress. “How could you serve him? Isn’t it obvious what he is?” She flicked one of Mark’s ears. Mark let out a small whimper.

“Hey!” Jaebum barked. “He’s with me. We paid already. If you don’t mind, we’ll be leaving.” He touched Mark’s arm. “C’mon, Mark. We’ll not come back here again.”

“Good! We don’t need scum like that here,” the woman said cruelly. “Who even takes their hybrid out with them for a meal? And without a leash! This is disgraceful. Cat boy,” she leered at Mark as Jaebum grabbed their coats. “Just because he spoils you doesn’t mean you should expect it from anyone else. Remember what you are—a disgusting animal, an ugly little kitty who can’t do anything for this world. I’m surprised anyone wants you.”

Jaebum hurried Mark out the door and down the street.

“I’m so sorry,” Jaebum said. “I had no idea that was going to happen. I had always gotten the impression that the people there were good. Guess they hired someone new.”

“It’s not your fault,” Mark mumbled.

“None of what that witch was saying is true,” Jaebum said fiercely. “Of course people want you.”

Mark looked at him dolefully.

“No, you stop that right now.” Jaebum grabbed Mark’s hands. “Your life is worth just as much as mine, you hear? Don’t let her put horrible ideas in your head. I care about you, I want you to be happy—it’s not fair. The world is harsh and cruel. But I want you to find assurance in yourself that you are good and you are much better than what they say you are, and then none of their words can hurt you.” He tugged Mark close to his chest and cupped Mark’s face in his hands, index and middle fingers brushing absently through his hair. “Forget what she said,” he whispered. “None of it is true. Listen to me, Mark, you trust me more than you trust her, right?” Mark nodded, closing his eyes and relaxing into Jaebum’s touch. “I’ve got you,” Jaebum said. “No one is going to hurt you when you’re with me.” Trembling, Jaebum pressed a chaste kiss to Mark’s forehead. Mark made a little “oh!” sound, but didn’t move, keeping his eyes shut.

Jaebum let out a shaky breath. “People want you,” he repeated. “I want you.” He leaned closer until his lips were right next to Mark’s ear. “Do you want me to prove it to you?”

Mark let out an almost silent whine, and Jaebum felt heat light up every inch of his body. 

“C’mon,” he said. “Let’s go back to the house.” Mark stumbled, opening his eyes, and Jaebum noticed how dark they were, how blown his pupils were. He clung to Jaebum, head resting against his shoulder.

They made it up the front steps. Jaebum shut the front door, and Mark dumped his coat on the floor. They both kicked off their shoes, and Jaebum took Mark’s face in his hands and kissed him on the mouth, sucking on Mark’s bottom lip, their noses bumping and everything hazy and messy. Jaebum hugged Mark close, and Mark gave a little jump and wrapped his legs around Jaebum’s waist. Jaebum had no choice but to put one hand under Mark’s ass to support him, the other bracing against the smaller boy’s back, fingers splayed. Blindly, Jaebum staggered in the direction of the stairs, lips still all over Mark’s. 

Jaebum was not quite sure how he made it up the stairs without either of them getting hurt, but suddenly they were safe in his bedroom. He pushed Mark onto the mattress and braced himself on top of him, kissing down Mark’s neck, sucking at his collarbones. Mark was mewling under his touch—just like a kitten—and Jaebum felt his cock twitch in his pants. 

He pushed Mark’s shirt up, exposing his stomach. Mark lifted his arms and Jaebum pulled the shirt off completely. He sat back on his heels and traced patterns into Mark’s chest, flicking over his nipples and watching him gasp, kissing his stomach. Mark was writhing beneath him, gasping and moaning and begging for more.

Jaebum felt hands tugging at the hem of his shirt. “I want to see you,” Mark murmured, blushing a deep red. “Please.” Jaebum complied, unbuttoning his shirt and discarding it somewhere behind him on the floor. Mark sat up and nuzzled his face into Jaebum’s chest, soft ears tickling at the larger boy’s neck. They watched each other for a while, drinking in body and waiting.

Jaebum was buzzing. His hands shook when they met Mark’s skin. A very small voice in the back of his mind was yelling, wait, gay? Let’s address this first! But Jaebum figured there would be plenty of time afterwards to address it. Right now, he wanted to make sure Mark knew how much he meant to him. How much Jaebum didn’t want him to hurt. 

“You’re so beautiful,” he mumbled against Mark’s lips. “You’re gorgeous—I can’t believe that woman could call you ugly. She must be blind.” Mark whimpered, grinding upwards on Jaebum. “Shit—so beautiful, Mark, you know that, right?” Jaebum pressed downwards, grinding their crotches together, afraid to touch with his hands, afraid Mark might break. He bit Mark’s collarbone lightly, then sucked hard, and scraped with teeth and pulled back to watch a purple bruise form. Mark arched back, arms reaching above his head to clench fingers around a pillow. He pressed it to his face, trembling. “No one but me can hear you,” Jaebum murmured, prying the pillow from Mark’s grasp. “Let it out, baby.” He pressed down again, sliding their cocks against each other, both straining against fabric.

“Fu-uc-k,” Mark gasped out. “Jaebum, please, I can’t—I’m gonna—”

“It’s okay,” Jaebum said, feeling the wetness of precome start to stain his pants. “Me too, I—hng, Mark—” 

“Jaebum,” Mark breathed back. “You’re so perfect and kind to me, please, I need you, don’t ever give me away—“

“Never,” Jaebum promised. “You’re mine, and you’ll be with me always. No one will touch you unless you want them to. No one will hurt you, you‘re my baby kitten and I’ll always protect you. Fuck—”

“I’m so close,” Mark whined. “I need—Jaebum, please!”

Jaebum thrusted down on Mark, screwing his eyes shut, dropping to his elbows so that their faces were centimeters apart. Mark’s cries rose in volume and pitch, a mixture of please and more and Jaebum, and then a ragged scream tore out of Mark’s throat, “Jaebum, fuck!” and he was coming inside his jeans, arching off the bed and against Jaebum, which was all Jaebum needed to find his release. He growled and tried not to collapse and crush the boy under him as streaks of come shot out into his underwear.

Mark lay limp underneath him. Jaebum rolled off to the side, watching Mark come back down to earth, watching him open his eyes, eyes full of stars— 

“Hyung,” he said softly, blinking like a innocent child.

“Mark,” Jaebum said, reaching out and pushing sweaty strands of hair out of his face. “Do you believe me now?” he whispered.

“If I said no, could we do it again?” Mark replied, and then burst out laughing. Jaebum joined them. In their exhausted, post-orgasm high, it took a long while for the giggles to die down.

“Seriously,” Jaebum said after a couple minutes. “You’re… beautiful—is it okay for me to call you that? I know some guys don’t like it because—”

“I like it,” Mark interrupted, flushing. 

Jaebum grinned. “And what about pretty? Cute?” He scooted closer and pressed soft kisses to Mark’s shoulder and neck. “Gorgeous?”

“If you’re trying to start round two, can we wait for a bit? I’m exhausted,” Mark said pointedly. He met one of Jaebum’s kisses as assurance. “I would love to, if my limbs didn’t feel like noodles,” he added.

“How about a shower, then?” Jaebum asked.

Mark eyed him. “I… okay.” He pressed his lips together, eyes crinkling at the corners.

Jaebum pushed himself out of the bed. “Come on, then.” He reached his arms out to Mark.

“I don’t know if I can stand,” Mark said, struggling to push himself up into a sitting position. He reached his arms out to Jaebum and made a grabby motion. “Carry me?”

Jaebum resisted rolling his eyes. “I already carried you up the stairs,” he muttered, but he lifted Mark out of the bed anyway, supporting him by the shoulders and steering him into the bathroom. He poked his head into the shower and turned the water on so it could heat up a bit. Mark yawned and tugged off his pants and socks. Jaebum, suddenly embarrassed, faced the other way to do the same.

“Hyung, you don’t have to hide from me. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ll probably end up seeing everything soon enough.”

Jaebum smiled, and the something in his chest bloomed larger. He turned to face the other boy, who was slipping behind the opaque glass of the shower.

Jaebum followed him in and saw him staring at the rack of bottles of shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, face washes, and exfoliators.

“Um… which one do I use?” Mark asked.

Jaebum laughed. “Well, shampoo would be for your hair, right, and shower gel for your body—just read the labels.” Mark looked up at him, and a wry smile crossed his face for a brief instant. He shrugged and grabbed the closest shampoo, cracking open the bottle and dumping some out into his hand.

What surprised Jaebum was that neither of them were doing the awkward eye-flickling-between-crotch-and-face thing. They were just sharing a shower. And it wasn’t sexual and it was fine. Sure, some kisses were exchanged, and Jaebum offered to help Mark wash his tail just because he could reach it better, which meant Jaebum got an eyeful of Mark’s (cute) ass, but it didn’t seem… weird. Like Mark said, they were going to be seeing everything at some point anyway. There wasn’t a need to be terribly shy. 

Jaebum found fluffy towels for them both to dry off with, and then he just pulled on pajama pants, tossing Mark a hugely oversized t-shirt. Mark went down to get a pair of underwear and Jeebum gathered up their clothes to start a load of laundry.

“So,” Mark said, once they were both settled back in bed again. “Is this something you’ll be doing with every hybrid once they are officially yours?” He tried to sound like he was joking, but Jaebum had a feeling he was worried.

“Only if they want it, and only if you’re okay with it,” Jaebum said. “It depends.”

Mark shrugged. “I’d want to get to know them first.”

“You know it won’t mean I don’t like you anymore, right? I said, only as long as you’re okay with it. You got here first, so you tell me, okay? You don’t have to say yes.” Jaebum took Mark’s hands. “Look at me. You don’t have to say yes.”

Mark blushed deep red. “I’m okay with it,” he stuttered. “As long as we can share.”

“I thought that was an unspoken part of the deal.”

“You were consciously suggesting starting your own harem,” Mark asked.

“No! I don’t like that word, it wouldn’t be a harem, stop!” Jaebum frowned. “Just… we’d be in an open relationship with one another. Again, only if the other hybrid wanted it.”

“I don’t see how they could say no,” Mark said. “You’re too handsome.”

Jaebum grinned at the ceiling. “Hush.”

“It’s going to be okay.” Mark nudged Jaebum’s shoulder with his forehead. “We’ll cross that bridge when we reach it.”


	4. four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet Jackson!

They spent the rest of the weekend unpacking Mark’s things, working on their microeconomics project, and lazing around the house. Jaebum chucked Mark in the pool at one point, and they had a water fight for a good while. It was getting cold, though, so afterwards Jaebum sealed it up, since no one would really want to swim outside for much longer. Fall turned very cold very quickly, and he made sure to keep Mark warm, since the boy was so small and therefore susceptible to illness.

 

The thing that got Jaebum the most was that he settled into his new gayness quietly. He supposed it was because his parents were liberal and wouldn’t care either way. His uncle was gay; Jaebum had had many friends and acquaintances whose sexualities fell under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. It wasn’t a big deal. The only way he really addressed with himself was just,  _so it sounds like I’m gay. And that’s fine. And that’s just how that’s going to be._ And that was it, that was all he needed. 

 

Monday dawned bright and cold, and the two boys walked to classes together, puffing out small clouds of white into the chilly air. Mark was laughing. Jaebum noted how much happier he’d gotten in the past week. 

 

“Hey, if you see any hybrids you think might be interested in staying with us, you let me know,” Jaebum said.

 

“I’m on it!” Mark said, springing into a stiff salute. 

 

“And be careful with yourself. Tell me if anyone mistreats you, I’ll set them right.” Jaebum squeezed Mark’s hand quickly before they rounded the corner. “Okay. See you in macroeconomics.”

 

“See you,” Mark said happily.

 

Normally on Mondays Jaebum didn’t have early morning class, so he could sleep in, but he wanted to walk Mark to school. It didn’t really matter much. He headed out into the quad to enjoy the last of the sun before winter set in. He was just settling in, scrolling through his phone, when he heard a yell, something that sounded like a hard punch, and a grunt. 

 

Jaebum stood quickly. If there was a fight going on, he better get out of there fast. He looked around, and his eyes landed on a shadowy corner, where a bleached-blonde boy was desperately trying to fight off…  _four—five—six—seven guys,_ Jaebum counted. The boy was some kind of wolf hybrid, with a thick tail and pointed, furry white ears. He watched as the hybrid threw a swing and knocked one of the guys flat on his back.

 

  
_I mean, he’s strong._ Jaebum had to give it to him. Despite being outnumbered 7-1, never mind outsized by at least ten centimeters, the kid was putting up a damn good fight.

 

But another one of the guys tackled him, forced his arms behind his back. A second helped hold him in place, and a third secured his legs. The forth reared his fist back and connected it with the kid’s stomach with a sickening thump. He tried to bend over in pain, but the other thugs holding him wouldn’t let him. The guy hit him in the face, twice, and Jaebum couldn’t take it. He strode over and grabbed the guy’s arm on the backswing.

 

“Okay, that’s enough,” Jaebum said. “Release him. Get out of here.”

 

“It’s Im Jaebum!” one of the boys yelped. “We’re so sorry Mr. Im, that you had to see this. We were just trying to teach an unruly hybrid a lesson, you know how they are—”

 

“Scram,” Jaebum said coldly. They tripped over themselves to get out of his way. Jaebum focused on the hybrid, who was slumped on the ground, clutching his face. “Hey,” he said in a much kinder tone. “Do you need some help?”

 

“M fine,” he mumbled. “I’m used to it.”

 

“Here, let me help you up,” Jaebum offered.

 

“You sure you want to touch my blood?”

 

“It’s just blood. It’ll wash off.”

 

The kid took his hand. “I dunno, some people think hybrid blood bears disease.”

 

“I’m not one of those people.” They were not eye to eye when they stood; the blond hybrid was a few centimeters shorter than Jaebum. “I’m Jaebum, in case you didn’t catch that.”

 

“I’m Wang Jackson. Thanks for your help.”

 

“Not to worry. I hate it when people treat hybrids like shit.”

 

“Yeah, me too.” Jackson laughed to himself. “Well, good to know I’m not the only one.” He turned to go.

 

“Hey, wait. You sure you’re okay?”

 

“Yeah, this is nothing.”

 

Jaebum felt chilled.

 

“Have you been claimed yet?” Jaebum asked. “I’m looking for hybrids to take in.”

 

“I haven’t.” Jackson laughed again. “No one wants a hybrid like me. I’m hyper, according to some, and ungrateful, according to others.”

 

“You seem just fine to me,” Jaebum said. “If you would prefer not…”

 

“No, it’s good. It’ll be nice to have a normal human who actually likes hybrids. My parents could do with the money, in either case. Do you already have others?” Jackson asked.

 

“Just one. His name is Mark Tuan. I don’t know if you know him—”

 

“No, I do!” Jackson said. “We were on the same tour when we were first accepted.”

 

“I’m going to give you this bracelet,” Jaebum said, snapping it around Jackson’s wrist. “To prove you’ve been claimed. You’ll be staying with me at my house—it’s like five minutes from campus. Obviously, my family will pay yours. Where do you live now?”

 

“With my parents, just outside of campus,” Jackson said. “Couldn’t afford a dorm.”

 

“Well, I’ll call them sometime today to arrange a time that we can meet to talk about payment, and to get your things.” Jaebum gestured to Jackson's face. “You clean up, and take care, all right?”

 

“Okay, hyung,” Jackson said with a tiny touch of sarcasm, grinning. He sauntered off.

 

Jaebum shook his head.  _And that,_ he thought to himself,  _is the exact opposite of Mark. Wonder what Mom will think, me taking in two hybrids in a week. But I couldn’t just leave him. If I walk away, it’ll happen again, just when I’m not looking._  


Jaebum checked his watch. It was almost time for class, so he headed into the building, resolving to call both his and Jackson’s parents at lunch.  _Shit, forgot to get the number. Oh well. I’ll see him around._  


“Hey,” he said, slipping into his seat next to Mark. “How was your morning without me.”

 

“Uneventful and lonely,” Mark replied. “Yours?”

 

“I may or may not have claimed another hybrid.”

 

“Ooh, who?” Mark asked. 

 

“His name’s Jackson. He said he knew you.”

 

“Oh!” Mark nodded. “Jackson Wang! He’s crazy, and he asks a lot of questions, but he’s very confident and kind.”

 

“I’m going to see if I can call my parents, and his, at lunch, just to set up a time,” Jaebum said. “Then he’ll move in with us. Which means you’ll get your own bed.”

 

“What if I don’t want my own bed?” Mark asked, pouting slightly.

 

“You don’t think he’ll be offended that he doesn’t get to share, too? It’s like favoritism, and I don’t want to do that. Besides which, I really don’t think my bed could hold three,” Jaebum explained. “It’s not because I’m trying to get rid of you or something.”

 

“I know,” Mark said. “But I  _like_ sleeping with you.”

 

Jaebum pressed his lips together to hold in a laugh. “I know. We’ll see what we can do, okay?”

 

Mark nodded. “How’d you mean Jackson anyway?”

 

Jaebum cringed. “Some guys had him surrounded in the corner of the quad. Probably figured no one would be out.”

 

“Is he okay?”

 

“I think so. I stopped them before it went too far. By the way, he’s a really good fighter.” Jaebum tilted his head. “It was seven-on-one, and he still managed to get a couple of good swings in.”

 

“Sounds like Jackson,” Mark said wryly.

 

Their professor grabbed their attention, and they spent most of the rest of class on their project. Mark carried most of their work that day because Jaebum was too busy fretting over meeting times.

 

After class, they both headed over to lunch. Jaebum pulled out his phone and called his mother on their way. She laughed off his apologies for laking another hybrid, saying, “Jaebummie, it’s fine. You had a good reason. It’s good that you’re taking them in. I’m glad you’ll have more company.”

 

“How many more am I allowed to take?”

 

“Well, you do have to be careful,” his mother replied. He could hear the smile in her voice. “You can’t go at this rate. But I would say around five wouldn’t really be a problem.”

 

“No way!” Jaebum said. “I’ll probably take just one more or something, and then be done.”

 

“That’s what you say now,” she warned.

 

“Ah, I’m at lunch. Okay, I’ll ask Jackson if this Friday afternoon works. If not, Saturday. I’ll send you the address!”

 

“Okay, honey. See you.”

 

“Bye.” Jaebum hung up and slipped his phone in his pocket. 

 

“What am I going to do while you’re at that meeting?” Mark asked. “I’m gonna be alone in that big house.”

 

“It is customary for hybrids to follow with their claimers to meetings and things,” Jaebum said. “Though that’s normally just to use them to carry all the papers and things. But if you want to come, you definitely can.”

 

“I don’t think Jackson’s parents will mind,” Mark said. “They love him very much, and don’t resent him because he’s a hybrid. Except, they really don’t have a lot of money. I shouldn’t be saying this, but I figured you should know—he’s very outspoken, and it’s dangerous because his parents don’t really have influence.”

 

“We’ll see what we can do,” Jaebum said. “I don’t want to tear him away from his parents, but he accepted the bracelet willingly, and I’m getting the feeling that if he didn’t want it he would’ve fought me off.”

 

“Oh, look, there he is!” Mark said, nodding. “You can get his parents’ number.”

 

“Thanks, Mark.” They wove their way over to the table where Jackson was sitting, alone. 

 

“Hi!” Mark said, plopping down on one side of him while Jaebum lowered himself smoothly into the other seat. 

 

“Mark!” Jackson said. “And Jaebum! Hi.”

 

“I need your parents’ number so I can call about meeting times. Does Friday afternoon work for you?” Jaebum asked as he opened up his phone. 

 

“It should,” Jackson said. “Here, I’ll type in the number.”

 

Jaebum handed his phone over. “And where do you live?"

 

“Just a few minutes from campus,” Jackson said, handing the phone back.

 

“Oh, me too. Sounds like we’re pretty close."

 

“Hello?” A man’s voice crackled over the line.

 

“This is Mr. Wang?” Jaebum confirmed. 

 

“Yes, may I ask who’s speaking?”

 

“Hi Mr. Wang, I’m Im Jaebum. I was hoping to take your son Jackson as a hybrid? If you consent, I would like to set up a time where we can discuss payment.”

 

“Oh, Im Corp, right?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That… that would be good. Will Jackson still be able to attend university?”

 

“Of course!” Jaebum said. “I hear you are very close with him?”

 

“Yes,” Mr. Wang said softly. 

 

“I think I live rather close to you, since we both live on the outskirts of campus,” Jaebum said. “You can feel free to see him anytime you want. I’m not trying to take your son away from you.”

 

“That would be—that is very kind,” Mr. Wang stuttered, stunned.

 

“It’s only right,” Jaebum assured him. “What day works for you? I’m guessing Jackson would also want to pick up his things.”

 

“Yes. We are free this Friday afternoon, but if you have class…”

 

“That’s just the time I was going to suggest,” Jaebum said, shooting a quick smile at Jackson. “Perfect. I’ll see you then. Thank you very much.”

 

“Thank you, too.”

 

Jaebum nodded to himself as he slipped the phone back in his pocket. “Well, that’s set.”

 

“It’s all right if I don’t move in tonight, right?” Jackson asked. 

 

“What? Yes, of course. You don’t  _have_ to until Friday night, and even then I won’t really enforce it.”

 

“His house is really nice, though,” Mark said. “And you’ll be with me.”

 

Jackson shoved Mark gently. “Gross, why would I want to be with you?” Mark laughed, and Jackson wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I’m kidding. I just don’t want to disappear on my parents.”

 

“I understand,” Jaebum said, grinning. “It’s totally fine.”

 

“I’m excited,” Mark announced. He added to Jackson in a stage whisper, “I’m getting kind of sick of just his company.”

 

“Hey!” Jaebum said indignantly, flinging a fry at Mark, who caught it and popped it in his mouth.

 

“No, it’s actually really great,” Mark said earnestly. “We get our own rooms, and Jaebum cooks a lot, and it’s really fun to have run of the whole house.”

 

“Our own rooms?” Jackson said.

 

“Yeah.” Jaebum rubbed the back of his neck. “There’s six guest bedrooms.”

 

“No way.”

 

“Yeah, I don’t really know what my dad was thinking exactly when he made the floor plan.” Jaebum shrugged. “But I guess it’s coming in handy now.”

 

“No kidding,” Jackson said, eyebrows raised so high they got lost in his bangs. He reached for a fry (Jaebum’s, not his own) and chewed thoughtfully. Jaebum and Mark made eye contact across the table, and Mark’s eyes crinkled into a bright smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is just like.... gratuitous smut basically.

“I like him,” Jaebum commented on their way home.

 

“Me too,” Mark said. “He’s kind of a head case, though.”

 

“We can deal.” Jaebum slung his arm over Mark’s shoulders. “He seems sweet.”

 

“Mm,” Mark agreed. “What’s for dinner?”

 

“I was thinking ramen.”

 

“Sounds like a plan.”

 

Jaebum unlocked the front door and dumped his bags at the base of the stairs. “I’m going to go shower,” he said, taking the steps two at a time. “I shouldn’t be long.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Jaebum stripped and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water pelt his body and thaw his frozen limbs. He didn’t want to leave Mark alone for too long, so he finished quickly and dried off, half-assedly trying to dry his hair. He put on a pair of plaid of pajama bottoms and an old t-shirt, and made his way downstairs.

 

Mark wasn’t in the kitchen, or in the living room. Confused, and slightly concerned, Jaebum knocked lightly on his door. He heard a cough, some rustling, and then, “Hi, yes, come in.”

 

“You okay?” Jaebum pushed the door open and stopped in his tracks. Mark’s hair was mussed up and his lips were wet and red. His eyes were a little blown and he had a blush blooming across his cheeks. “Oh. Sorry. I—I was just worried when I couldn’t find you anywhere.”

 

“It’s fine.” If possible, Mark blushed deeper. Jaebum felt a jolt.  _Why not?_  


“I can help,” he said softly, velvet entering his tone. “If you want.”

 

Mark trembled, groaning, and tilted his head back. “Please.”

 

His voice was so broken and small. Jaebum crossed the room swiftly, pulling back the covers to reveal Mark’s leaking cock. HIs jeans were pushed down to his ankles.

 

For a split second, Jaebum panicked. He was very afraid of doing something wrong. It was his first time on the giving end (not that he was about to admit that to Mark). He stepped back for the briefest moment, taking in Mark writhing on the bed before him.  _C’mon, Jaebum. As long as you’re gentle and you give him what he wants, he’s not going to complain._  


He started by pressing kisses all over Mark’s heated torso, pulling his shirt above his head before tugging off his own. Mark reached up and captured Jaebum’s lips.

 

“We won’t be able to do this when Jackson’s here,” Mark breathed out. “I don’t know what I’ll do.”

 

“I’ll find a way,” Jaebum promised immediately, words tumbling out of his lips, anything to stop Mark from worrying. He slithered down until he was practically in a formal bow, burying his face in Mark’s inner thighs. “I want you,” he mumbled out.

 

“Take me, then,” Mark challenged, voice all air.

 

“You’re gonna have to be more specific.” Jaebum raised his head, surprised to find his throat dry. He swallowed thickly.

 

Something dark entered Mark’s eyes. “Do you want me to beg?” he whispered. Jaebum failed to stifle a moan. “Please, Jaebum. I need you. Take me,  _fuck_ me,  _please_. I’m clean, I promise, and I took a quick shower, too, there’s nothing to stop you, please, Jaebum, I want to feel you, I want to feel you for  _days_ , I want a reminder that I’m yours even when you can’t be right there to remind me of it.”

 

The situation had spiraled out of Jaebum’s control. He could not say no; he did not want to say no. Mark reached up to touch his cheek. 

 

“I can take it,” he promised.

 

“ _Mark_ ,” Jaebum whispered, knocking their foreheads together gently. He felt Mark reach out to the side, fumble for something, and then a cold bottle of lube was being pressed into Jaebum’s hands. Jaebum blinked in surprise. “Where is this from?”

 

Mark blushed. “I bought it on Sunday. I thought we might need it eventually.”

 

“I can’t believe you.” Jaebum cracked open the bottle, squeezing a small dollop out onto his finger. “Tell me if it hurts too much, okay?” Just because he’d never done it didn’t mean he didn’t know how it was done. He rubbed the lube all over his index finger, and then carefully moved down and circled Mark’s hole. Mark spread his legs.

 

“Please,” he whimpered, embarrassment about the lube forgotten. “I want you inside me."

 

Fuck if Jaebum was going to say no to that. He pressed his finger into Mark’s ass, going slow and watching Mark’s face, how his eyes opened wide before screwing shut, how he’d hold his breath, and then let it out in choked “ _ah”_ noises. 

 

“Relax,” Jaebum said quietly. “I’ve—I’ve got you.” Mark squirmed, and then settled. Jaebum worked his finger in and out of him, slowly opening Mark up. Soon, Mark was whining for more. Jaebum pulled his finger out and added some lube to his second finger, and carefully pushed both of them back in. 

 

“Fuck,” Mark breathed out. Jaebum bit his lip, watching as Mark’s hands twitched. He began to scissor his fingers carefully, opening Mark up more. After a bit, Jaebum started searching around, because he knows his fucking anatomy, knows there’s a bundle of nerves inside Mark that will make him see stars. He pushed in, curled his fingers, once, twice, and hit gold on the third try. Mark screamed, jolting, and a string of profanities fell across his lips. “ _Fuck,_ Jaebum, right there,  _please—_ ”

 

Jaebum wasted no time adding a third finger, using his other hand to hold down Mark’s hips for leverage as he fucked his fingers in and out of Mark. He fell apart under Jaebum’s hands, mewling and crying out and bucking his hips, neglected dick hard and red and leaking against his stomach. 

 

“Please, Jaebum, want your cock,  _please_ , hurry, I want you  _so bad,_ ” Mark stuttered out. Jaebum got the impression that he wasn’t really aware of what he was saying, as long as something got Jaebum to fuck him. Not that he really had to try.

 

Jaebum hovered over Mark, kissing a line from his mouth to his ear, where he whispered, “You want me to fuck you, baby?”

 

“ _Please!”_ It came out high-pitched and drawn out as Mark keened against Jaebum’s touch. Jaebum nodded and kissed down to Mark’s collarbone.

 

“Condom?”

 

“Are you clean? Because I am,” Mark said. “I want to feel  _you_.”

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum said breathlessly. “Yeah, I’m clean.” He fumbled with the drawstring of his pants, struggling out of them and kicking them onto the floor. He spread generous amounts of lube onto his cock, watching as Mark clenched and unclenched his asshole around air.

 

“Please,” Mark repeated, eyebrows scrunched. He bit his lip and let out a moan. “Need you.”

 

Jaebum lined up in front of Mark’s hole, and carefully pushed in. Mark clenched around him and Jaebum fought not to close his eyes. “Relax,” Jaebum said again. “Does it hurt?”

 

“Only… only a little.” Mark gritted his teeth. “Keep going, I’m fine.”

 

Jaebum did as he asked, carefully pushing further and further in until he bottomed out. He let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. He leaned over Mark, pressing reassuring kisses to his neck and chest. Shaking, he nervously reached down and took Mark’s length in his hand, pumping up and down to distract him. Mark relaxed around him, kissing back, melting. He opened his eyes and found Jaebum’s gaze.

 

“Move,” he whispered.

 

Jaebum braced his hands on either side of Mark’s shoulders, and drew his hips back, and then pushed back in. He set a slow pace like that, afraid of hurting Mark too much. But Mark showed no signs of hurting. He pushed back against Jaebum, a silent urge for Jaebum to move faster. Jaebum picked up the pace, snapping his hips back and forth. Mark grabbed fistfuls of sheets, almost sobbing as Jaebum figured out how to angel his his thrusts so that he hit Mark’s prostate every time.

 

Jaebum shifted, trying to find a way that he wouldn’t have to hold himself up with his arms. After a few failed attempts, he ended up kneeling, Mark’s legs slung over his shoulders. Mark hooked his ankles behind Jaebum’s neck so his knees wouldn’t slip. Hands free, Jaebum began to stroke Mark’s cock in tandem with his thrusts. Too his surprise, Mark shoved his hands away.

 

“I won’t last long enough if you do that,” he explained, gasping. “I want to come untouched.”

 

Jaebum nodded, and took hold of Mark’s thighs instead, becoming rougher with each thrust. Mark was whining and moaning and letting out yells of pleasure, crying Jaebum’s name. Jaebum couldn’t hold back groans, swearing under his breath as Mark clenched around him. It felt so good, Mark taking him like it was nothing. He felt Mark’s thighs shuddering in his hands and he was fairly certain he was leaving fingerprints. 

 

“Fuck, Jaebum, you feel so good,” Mark mumbled. “You know you’re one of the only people who can make my feel like this? You know you’re one of the only people who can make me scream?”

 

  
_He’s doing this on purpose,_ Jaebum thought, clenching his teeth.  _He doesn’t look it, but Mark is the king of dirty talk._  


“Jaebum, I’m so close.” The way Mark said his name, drawing out the  _Jae_ and barely forming the  _m_ like he was out of breath numbed Jaebum’s mind. “Go harder, please, I want to feel it— _shit_ —you’re so perfect—” Jaebum growled, drilling into Mark’s ass, feeling the tingles in his fingertips that meant he was close. “Oh my  _god_ , Jaebum, like that. If I can’t walk after this—” 

 

“I’ll carry you, baby,” Jaebum said, forcing the words out between harsh breaths. “I don’t mind. Just more time I get to spend touching you.”

 

A blissful smile spread over Mark’s face. “Tell me how much I mean to you.”

 

“You’re worth so much to me, kitten,” Jaebum said immediately. He realized how much he liked the kid, how much he wanted to reassure him that he was always wanted, that Jaebum would keep him forever if he would let him. “I’ll be with you as long as you want me. Those 8,000,000 won were not nearly enough for you. You’re so  _beautiful,_ baby, I can’t believe no one else claimed you before I found you. I’m  _so_ glad you’re mine.”

 

Mark bit his lip so hard it began to bleed, throat working and constricting. “Fuck,  _fuck, FUCK!_ ” he yelled, crunching his torso up and shaking as streaks of come painted across his stomach. Jaebum fucked into him through his orgasm, reaching his just as Mark was coming down. 

 

Jaebum stilled inside him, and then pulled out uncomfortably. He popped up and ran to grab a washcloth, which he soaked in warm water and brought over to clean them both up. He set the washcloth on the bedside table and curled up beside Mark, pulling the boy in under his arm. Mark splayed his fingers across Jaebum’s sturdy chest. 

 

“I like it when you call me kitten,” he murmured.

 

“I like it when you curse,” Jaebum said. “And when you scream, let’s me know I’m doing something right.”

 

“I like that you don’t think it’s gross to have sex with a hybrid,” Mark replied, unfazed.

 

“I don’t like that you think I would ever think that,” Jaebum said, kissing Mark’s forehead. “You’re the same as me. You just have cute ears and a tail and better senses.”

 

“Jaebum-hyung?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Why does the world hate hybrids so much?”

 

Jaebum furrowed his eyebrows, thinking. “I think it’s because we are inherently afraid of anything that is different from us. Fear breeds hate. It just so happens that hybrids are the minority. I’m sure if hybrids were the majority, it would just be the other way around. But if you’re taught from the beginning not to fear, then you don’t hate. My parents, as I’m sure you’ve gathered, rally for hybrid rights. I have an adopted older sister who is a bluejay hybrid. I’ve grown up with the idea that if we can educate people about hybrids, eventually the fear will stop.

 

“I don’t care that you’re a hybrid, Mark. I don’t care that you have cat ears and a tail. You can’t help that. What you can help is how you treat the world, and you are very, very kind. And that’s mostly what I care about. You are sweet and good to a world that has, by and large, not been sweet or good to you.” Jaebum interlocked his fingers with Mark’s. “And that’s what should matter.”

 

“Is it bad that I much prefer your company to the company of my parents?” Mark asked. “I know family is supposed to come first, but—”

 

“It always depends,” Jaebum said. “It’s not bad. Ultimately, you should stick to the people that support you and help you grow and make you happy. And that really should be your family. My family is like that. My family always comes first. But sometimes, you’re unlucky. Sometimes, your family doesn’t make you happy. And that’s unlucky and sad. But it’s okay not to want their company if that’s the case.” Jaebum smiled at Mark. “You don’t have to feel guilty.”

 

“It’s just… this is the happiest I’ve been my whole life.”

 

“Mark… I…” Jaebum closed his eyes, blindly petting Mark’s hair. “You make me very happy, too.”

 

“And that’s okay? Even if you’re not family.” Mark seemed to be coming to some sort of resolve. “It’s okay because my mother gave me up for 8,000,000 won… but you wouldn’t give me up. Ever.”

 

“Not even for the world,” Jaebum said. “Because that is selfish and wrong, in my eyes.” Mark pressed his face into Jaebum’s collarbone, fingers tightening around Jaebum’s hand. 

 

They stayed like that for a while, holding each other. Jaebum turned what Mark said over in his mind.  _This is the happiest I’ve ever been my whole life_. That was hard for Jaebum. This was just normal life, having a friend (or, Jaebum amended, maybe a little more than a friend) and being more or less secure in yourself. That wasn’t allowed to be Mark’s highest point. That wasn’t fair.  _We’ll fix that as soon as we can._  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and this is just a self promo! so I've also been writing an Exo fic (http://archiveofourown.org/works/7033417) and if you like my style of writing, and don't mind heavy angst, I would love it if you would go check it out! Thanks all for the support!!


	6. Chapter 6

The week passed quickly. Jaebum fucked Mark once more on Thursday night, all the while trying to figure out a way to keep it up when Jackson moved in with them. Mark put his faith in Jaebum in a way that made Jaebum almost uncomfortable, but he was going to try to earn that faith if he could.

 

On Friday, Mark and Jaebum met Jackson after school and together they all walked back to Jackson’s house, where Jaebum’s parents would be meeting them. It was much more comfortable than the meeting with Mark’s parents. Jackson’s parents were delighted to know that Jaebum was only a ten-minute walk away, and that Jackson would still be allowed to attend university. They were further reassured by Mark’s presence. He was by Jaebum’s side the entire time, without a leash or anything, and appeared very happy. Jackson’s mother suggested 4,000,000 won for Jackson, and Jaebum got the distinct impression that she was expecting no more than 2,000,000, but was hoping for something. Jaebum’s parents stumbled over each other’s words to say they would be more than happy to pay 5,000,000. Once that had been settled, the three boys went to Jackson’s room to help him pack things.

 

“Since I’ll be coming back, I don’t really have to take that much,” Jackson said. 

 

“I have some clothes and things you can borrow. They might even fit you, unlike Mark. He doesn’t fill them out,” Jaebum teased.

 

Mark shrugged. “Sorry 'bout it.”

 

“I bet he looks cute,” Jackson said, making a face.

 

“ _Ew_ ,” Jaebum said, joking.

 

“Thanks, Jackson!” Mark said at the same time, beaming. He trotted over and gave him a hug. Jackson squirmed out of grasp, muttering, “gross, gross, gross!” Jaebum laughed.

 

“Mark cuddles,” Jaebum said. “You get used to it. C’mere,” he added to Mark, who looked put out at being rejected, opening his arms. “I’ll hug you.”

 

Mark squatted down slightly so he could bury his face in Jaebum stomach, wrapping his arms around Jaebum’s waist. Jaebum staggered backward. 

 

“I’m going to just bring my phone and a few outfits,” Jackson announced, hefting a medium-sized box as the two of them untangled.

 

“Okay. Well, we might as well get going, then,” Jaebum said. 

 

“I can’t wait for you to see the house,” Mark gushed. 

 

“What do you want for dinner, Jackson?” Jaebum asked.

 

“Ooh, can we do dimsum?” Jackson asked, already halfway out his bedroom door. “Doesn’t have to be at a dimsum restaurant, just the type of food."

 

“Yeah, we can do that,” Jaebum said, grinning. Mark peered up at him, looking like he was ready to burst. 

 

“I’m so happy,” he said. “I love being able to say that—I’m so happy!”

 

Jaebum squeezed Mark’s shoulder. “I’m really, really glad,” he murmured.

 

“All set?” Jaebum’s mother asked. Jackson readjusted the box, nodding firmly. “Good. Thank you,” she said, turning to Jackson’s parents. “Thank you for your son. I’m sure he’ll be back to see you soon.”

 

Jaebum offered a hand to each of Jackson’s parents. “I’m thrilled Jackson will be joining me,” he said genuinely. “Feel free to call the house any time if you want to reach him. I won’t ever keep him from you. He’s your son first, and my hybrid second.”

 

“Thank you,” Jackson’s mother said, smiling. “You are a truly kindhearted person.”

 

Jaebum shrugged. “It’s only fair,” he said. “Besides, I was raised by truly kindhearted parents.”

 

They waved their last goodbyes. The three boys loaded into one car, and Jaebum’s parents got into another. Jaebum blew kisses to his mother and waved to his father as they drove away.

 

“Okay, when we get home I’ll call for dimsum. Mark, will you help him unpack?” Jaebum asked.

 

“Of course.” Mark smiled 

 

“Will you show me around?” Jackson asked excitedly.

 

“Omo, my room’s not clean,” Jaebum said, realizing he had neglected to change the sheets after last night. They had ended up just going to Mark’s room, and Jaebum had completely forgotten. “Just don’t go in.” He met Mark’s eyes when Jackson was distracted by a castle-looking house and mouthed,  _dirty sheets_ to him. Mark’s eyes widened and he silently smacked his hand over his mouth.

 

The ride was a very short one, and soon they had arrived at Jaebum’s house. They piled out of the car, and Jaebum thanked the driver. He watched as Jackson bounded up the stairs, waiting for Mark and Jaebum to follow and unlock the door. 

 

“Oh, that’s another thing,” Jaebum said suddenly as he was pushing the door open. “I ought to give you each a key to this house. I’ll call my mother tomorrow, don’t want to worry her now.”

 

“Aren’t you afraid someone might try to take the key?”

 

“I’m more afraid that you’ll accidentally lock yourself outside when I’m not around to let you back in,” Jaebum said. “I trust you guys not to lose them.”

 

“Thanks, hyung!” Jackson called.

 

“My room’s right here…” Mark began to explain as they both hurried down the hall.

 

Jaebum pulled out his phone and climbed the stairs, Googling a dimsum restaurant that delivered. “Hi, could I have some Xiao Long Bao… um, do you have water spinach? …with garlic, yes.” He pushed the door of his room open and closed it behind him. "A couple radish cakes… some  _youtiao,_ with soya milk? That’s all. Here’s my address…” Jaebum stripped the sheets off the bed and threw them in the hamper, extracting fresh sheets from the closet. “This number, please. Twenty minutes? Perfect. Thank you very much. Yes, thank you.” Jaebum placed his phone on the bedside table and finished changing the sheets. He retrieved his phone and headed downstairs.

 

“And upstairs is Jaebum’s room and study,” Mark was saying. “We’re allowed in, but if the doors are shut tight, we have to knock just to be sure.”

 

“I called for dimsum and cleaned up,” Jaebum announced. “If you want to see my room, come on up.”

 

“Ooh, yes,” Jackson said. “When is the food coming?”

 

“In about twenty minutes.”

 

“Yay,” Jackson said, reaching the top of the stairs. “Is this it?” 

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said, waiting until Mark caught up before ascending the last couple stairs.

 

“Wow!” Jackson was at the window. “The view is so pretty!”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said. “It’s better in the morning, if we’re up early enough to watch the sun rise.”

 

“I’m usually up before the sun,” Jackson said.

 

“I’m not unless I have to be,” Jaebum said honestly. “Are you unpacked?”

 

“No,” Jackson said. 

 

“Let’s go do that,” Jaebum decided. “Just so you won’t have to do it later when you’re sleepy and full from dinner.” They all went back downstairs again. “Hey, Jackson, what kind of hybrid are you, exactly? I was thinking a dog of some sort…”

 

“Dog?” Jackson asked, pretending to be offended. “No, I’m a wolf!”

 

“I was close!” Jaebum defended. “I like your tail.”

 

Jackson preened, waving it back and forth. “Me too.” He ducked into his room. “By the way, how do this many bathrooms fit into one house?”

 

“Really careful planning and lots of math,” Jaebum replied. Mark giggled.

 

They spend the next fifteen minutes playing around and slowly getting Jackson’s things out of his box. Turns out most of what he packed were snapbacks (no comment from Jaebum on that). The doorbell rang, and Jaebum hurried to retrieve the food. He pressed the payment into the deliverer’s hand with a substantial tip and called the other two to the table. They all sat down together and bickered over the best parts of the  _youtiao_ and laughed a lot. Jaebum felt as though light were radiating off the two hybrids. They made everything much less lonely.

 

* * *

 

_Mark’s POV_

After dinner, Jaebum insisted he was very tired, and retreated upstairs. Mark, however, was very alert, and wanted to get to know Jackson a little better.

 

“Once you’ve showered, do you want to come talk with me a bit?” he offered.

 

“Yeah!” Jackson said. “I’ll be over soon!”

 

Before long, both boys were clean and situated comfortably on Mark’s bed. Mark was telling him a little about how Jaebum found him, and how he’d been so scared at first, but now he couldn’t imagine Jaebum hurting anyone.

 

“Mark?” Jackson asked. “Do you think Jaebum-hyung is good looking?”

 

“Wah, why do you ask?” Mark cried, willing himself not to blush.

 

“Just, from the way he acts around you… I made an assumption, I’m sorry,” Jackson said.

 

“What assumption?”

 

“Thought you guys were, I dunno, together.” Jackson shrugged. “Which would be great, that he’s that close to hybrids and really sees them as equals.”

 

Mark bit his lip. He seemed fine with it… maybe he could just explain. Hopefully Jaebum wouldn’t be too mad.

 

“Actually, we kind of are,” Mark said. The blush was flooding his cheeks now, whether he wanted it or not. “But Jaebum said it could be an open relationship as long as we both like the other hybrid and the other hybrid gives full consent.”

 

“That’s cute,” Jackson said. “So we basically just support each other and have s—”

 

Mark slapped his hand over Jackson’s mouth. “Yah, you can’t just say it like that!” he scolded. “But yeah, basically.”

 

“Good,” Jackson said. “Jaebum’s hot has hell.”

 

“What about  _me_?” Mark asked, slightly affronted.

 

“You too,” Jackson said, hitting him with a pillow.

 

“I’m not allowed to do anything until I talk to Jaebum!” Mark said, fending him off. “Best you get back to your own room, before you get any ideas. Besides, we should sleep.”

 

“Fine,” Jackson pouted. “See you in the morning, gege.”

 

“Yeah, night.” 

 

Mark lay back in his bed, hoping he hadn’t just created a disaster. He would talk to Jaebum in the morning.

 

* * *

 

_Jaebum’s POV_

 

Jaebum woke to Mark crawling into his bed.

 

“What time is it?” he mumbled, rubbing his face. “8:00? It’s the weekend, Mark!"

 

“Sorry, hyung.” Mark said. “But I wanted to talk to you before Jackson got out of the shower.”

 

“Okay,” Jaebum said, trying to sound awake.

 

“I was talking to Jackson last night,” Mark said. “And he asked me if you and I were together. And I got kind of nervous and just told him.”

 

“Okay, that’s fine,” Jaebum said. “What did he say?”

 

“He thought it was great.”

 

“Did you explain that we could expand the relationship?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What did he say about that?”

 

“He thought it was really great.”

 

“Oh.” Jaebum stretched. “Well, that’s that, then.”

 

“Are you mad?” Mark asked in a very small voice.

 

“What? No!” Jaebum grabbed Mark and pulled him closer to him. “No, not at all. I was wondering how to approach it, but it looks like it went just fine. If anything, I’m impressed.” He kissed Mark’s hair. 

 

“Jaebum! Are you up yet? Where’s Mark?”

 

“Forgot to close the door,” Mark said. “Oops.”

 

“Hey!” Jackson appeared in the doorway. “Ah. Answer to both of my questions.”

 

“I take it Mark explained things?” Jaebum asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

 

“Yes.”

 

“I take it you like the idea?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Okay, let’s see if my bed can fit three people after all,” Jaebum said. “Scoot this way, Mark.”

 

Jackson hesitated for an instant, and then shrugged and crossed to room to Jaebum’s bed, flopping down at Mark’s side. 

 

“You smell good,” Mark said to him. 

 

“How can you guys just sit here? There’s so much to do,” Jackson complained. 

 

“Like what?” Jaebum asked. 

 

“We could go for a walk, we could clean up the leaves in the front yard, we could play video games, we could work out, we could eat, we could—”

 

“Mark, shut him up, I can’t reach.”

 

Mark rolled over and pressed his hand over Jackson’s mouth. Jackson licked his hand.

 

“Gross,” Mark said, wiping his hand on Jackson’s shoulder. 

 

“We could do homework, we could watch TV, we—”

 

Mark pushed himself up and kissed Jackson on the mouth. As soon as his mouth was free, Jackson yelled and fell off the bed. Jaebum was howling with laughter.

 

“You gotta give a guy a little bit of warning!” a disgruntled Jackson said from the floor.

 

“You wouldn’t shut up,” Mark said.

 

“That’s not the best way to shut someone up!”

 

“I bet he’s louder than you when he comes,” Jaebum murmured so that only Mark could hear him. Mark slammed a pillow over his face to cover his blush and muffle his laughter.

 

“You said something!” Jackson accused, popping up. “What did you say?”

 

“Nothing.” Jaebum rolled and hopped up onto his feet. “Well, Jackson totally ruined my plans for cuddling for a half hour, so I guess that means we’re up now.”

 

“Breakfast!” Jackson yelled.

 

Mark surfaced from under the pillow and reached his arms out to Jaebum, wiggling his fingers. “Help me up.”

 

“For goodness’ sake.” Jaebum yanked him up and then pulled on a robe to keep out the chill. “Okay, let’s go.”

 

The morning was uneventful. Jackson eventually got fed up with the inactivity and said he was going on a run and would be back in a half an hour. Jaebum and Mark decided to watch a drama together. Mark curled into Jaebum’s side, pressing occasional kisses to Jaebum’s cheek and neck. It was all soft and sweet, and Jaebum closed his eyes and smiled.

 

The mood sort of shifted after about fifteen minutes, and Mark ended up crawling into Jaebum’s lap, straddling his thighs, arms draped over his shoulders. Jaebum arched up for kisses and Mark bent down to meet his lips. Mark was starting to pant and whine, shifting his hips slightly.

 

Of course, that was when Jackson walked in.

 

“Oops,” Jaebum muttered, turning bright red.  _It’s not like he didn’t know._  


“Join us,” Mark said in a low voice, and Jaebum’s jaw dropped.  _Oh, okay, that’s casual, Mark. Sure._ Mark climbed off of a stunned Jaebum’s lap and crossed the room to pull an equally stunned Jackson to the couch. He shoved him down next to Jaebum, and leaned on top of him, locking his fingers in Jackson’s hair and kissing him, hard.

 

“Fuck,” Jackson said, eyes glazed over. Jaebum eyed his lips, already red and kiss-bitten from Mark, He leaned over and pressed kisses to his neck. Jackson tilted his head back, and Mark pushed his hands under Jackson’s shirt. 

 

“Omo, Jackson’s  _big_ ,” Mark said. “Jaebum-hyung, he has an 8-pack!” 

 

“No way?” Jaebum breathed out against Jackson’s collarbone. “Let’s see it.”

 

Jackson tugged off his shirt and Jaebum raised his eyebrows. He had a really nice body. Before he could even react, Mark was attacking his torso with kisses, falling into his lap. Jackson gasped, pale blond hair falling into his face. Jaebum felt his cock twinge, and a shudder of want pulsed through him.

 

“How should we do this, Mark-ah?” he asked the oldest boy. “Jackson, do you like to top or bottom?”

 

“B-both,” Jackson said. “I don’t care.”

 

“That’s easy, then,” Mark said, “Because I only bottom.”

 

“And I only top,” Jaebum said, nodding. 

 

Mark slid down to the floor, kneeling between Jackson’s legs. “Can I?” he asked sweetly, hand ghosting over the outline of Jackson’s dick. Jackson nodded, and Mark tugged down Jackson’s shorts and underwear in one go. He didn’t even tease, and wrapped his mouth around Jackson’s already hard cock, sinking down.

 

Jaebum was kind of impressed. Jackson wasn’t the biggest, perhaps, but he was also definitely not small. Mark stretched his mouth wide and took almost all of him into his mouth. He started moving up and down, eyes closed and cheeks hollowed. Jaebum was torn between wanting to watch, and wanting to kiss Jackson blind, but he chose the latter, leaning over and capturing Jackson’s mouth, brushing the hair out of his eyes, Jackson shook, clearly trying to suppress moans. 

 

Jaebum wasn’t quite sure what Mark did, but Jackson suddenly arched back, yelling, “ _Fuck!_ Stop, stop, I’m not going to last—Mark, do you want me to fuck you or what?”

 

Jaebum would’ve laughed, but he was too busy watching Mark as he pulled off of Jackson with an obscene  _pop_. “Sorry,” he said, not sounding sorry at all. “You taste good.”

 

_Yep, king of dirty talk._

“Lose the pants, Mark,” Jaebum said. “Jackson, you should see how easy he opens up.”

 

Jackson could only moan lowly, trying to get his breathing under control. Mark did as he was told, and crawled back onto the couch on his hands and knees, tail waving pertly in the air. 

 

“No, turn so he can see your ass,” Jaebum said. Jackson bit his lip as Mark did as he was told. Jaebum stood, and moved to stand next to Mark, facing Jackson. “Are you clean?” he asked Jackson. 

 

“Yeah,”

 

“Then we have no problems,” Jaebum said. “Oh, damn, lube. Okay, just use your own spit for the first finger, it shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll be right back.”

 

Jackson stared, and then stuck his finger in his mouth, sucking. Jaebum fled the room, launched himself into Mark’s room, and rummaged for the lube in his bedside table drawer. When he got back, Jackson was working one finger in and out of Mark, and Mark was bent in half, elbows and head tucked around his knees. Jackson was kneeling, facing Mark, other hand pressed against Mark’s ass.

 

“Here.” Jaebum opened the lube and gestured for Jackson’s hand. He gave it to him, and Jaebum lubed up two of Jackson’s fingers. “There, go ahead and use two.” To Mark, he added, “Do you think you can get lower? I’m going to prep Jackson, but as it is, I won’t really be able to reach his hole.”

 

Mark pressed himself to the couch, managing to keep his ass a little bit up and his legs spread. Jackson dropped to his elbows, and pushed two fingers into Mark. Jaebum moved behind Jackson, spreading lube onto one of his fingers.

 

“Jackson, I’m putting the lube here,” he announced, setting in just in front of his knee. “For when you want to add a third finger.” Jackson nodded. “You okay?” Another nod. “Okay.” Jaebum spread Jackson’s cheeks a little, and carefully pushed the first finger in. Jackson let out a groan, head dropping forward for a moment. Jaebum grinned, and pulled his finger out and then pushed it in again, slowly opening Jackson up. 

 

Soon, they were both at three fingers. Mark was a mess, begging for Jackson’s cock. Jackson was groaning out curses and shooting heated looks over his shoulder at Jaebum. 

 

Jaebum pulled his fingers out and hopped off the couch, shedding his pants as he did so. Jackson also stood, and Mark looked up.

 

“Mark, I want you bent over the couch,” Jaebum said. Mark nodded, and turned, stomach pressed against the cushion, hips barely at the edge, toes splayed on the carpet.

 

Jackson didn’t need telling. He gripped Mark’s hips, and carefully pressed in. Mark moaned out a breathy “ _yes”._  


Jaebum waited until Jackson could move freely. Mark was begging for him to go faster (Jaebum did really wish to repeat the exact wording, hot as it was). Jaebum moved behind Jackson and pushed three fingers back into his hole, just to make sure he hadn’t closed up. Jackson shuddered and let out a loud moan. Jaebum nodded to himself, quickly spread lube over his dick, and then gently pressing into Jackson. Jackson stopped moving, clenching around him and panting raggedly.

 

“Let me know when I can move.” Jaebum leaned over to whisper in Jackson’s ear. Jackson’s face went through a series of expression, from pain, to discomfort, until he relaxed, and nodded.

 

Jaebum pulled back, trembling, and then pushed back into him roughly. Jackson was pushed forward, and Mark cried out. Jaebum essentially fucked Mark through Jackson like that, setting a brutal pace until Jackson was screaming and Mark had dissolved into a whimpering puddle on the couch.  _I was right_ , Jaebum thought with a grin.  _He is louder than Mark._  


“Fuck,  _fuck!_ ” Jackson yelled. “Jaebum, I’m close, I’m  _sorry—_ ”

 

“Don’t be sorry, baby,” Jaebum said huskily. “Let go.”

 

Jackson let out a wrecked cry, closing his eyes as Jaebum thrusted in just right, hitting his prostate perfectly. Mark’s moans got louder too, and the two of them together was like harmony in Jaebum’s ears, better than he could have expected. He felt Jackson tense up, all his beautifully sculpted muscles flexing, and then he fell limp—Mark, too was coming, painting white streaks across the edge of the couch with a sob—and Jaebum couldn’t hold himself back anymore. With a groan, he pushed in one last time, and stilled, pumping his come into Jackson’s ass.

 

Jackson was doing all he could not to collapse on top of Mark, his arms shaking. Jaebum used almost all of his strength to pull out and stand up. They were all breathing like they had just run a marathon. Jackson fell sideways next to Mark on the couch, covering his face with his hand, and letting out an exhausted groan.

 

Jaebum staggered into the kitchen, the closest room with a sink and paper towels, wetted a handful, and came back to clean up. He used half of them to roughly scrub the come off the couch before it dried and left stains, and then gently wiped off limp bodies. He pulled on his previously discarded pants, and went to toss the dirty towels in the garbage.

 

“C’mon, guys,” he said softly when he reentered the living room. “You have to get some clothes on; it’s cold.”

 

“I thought you liked my body,” Jackson mumbled, hand still covering his face.

 

“I’d like you to stay healthy,” Jaebum said, laughing and throwing Jackson’s shorts and shirt at him. Jackson rolled his eyes but did as he was told. “Markie,” Jaebum said to the smallest. “Get up.” He lifted the tired boy off the couch and into his lap, stroking his hair. Mark slowly opened his eyes.

 

“I can’t move,” he whispered, words slightly slurred.

 

Jaebum laughed. “Yes, you can,” he coaxed.

 

Mark frowned. “I don’t want to move,” he amended.

 

“Can you get your clothes on? I’ll carry you to your room.”

 

“Okay,” Mark said sleepily, tail waving just slightly. He tugged on the pants and shirt that were handed to him, and then had to re-do the shirt because he put it on backwards the first time. Jaebum swept him up in bridal style, and together with Jackson they made their way to Mark’s room for cramped cuddling and a restful nap.

 

* * *

 

Jaebum was slowly getting used to waking up to a tangle of limbs. His left arm was losing some feeling, Mark resting half on top of it, curled into Jaebum’s chest. Jackson was slung over both of them (how he found that comfortable, Jaebum would likely never know), legs intertwined with Marks, head resting on Jaebum’s thigh. 

 

The other two were both still sleeping, and Jaebum knew he had little chance of getting out of the bed without waking at least one, if not both, of them up. He stayed still for a minute after carefully extracting his arm, putting a pillow in its place, considering his options. Mark would likely not be angry at him for waking him, though he might whine and be cute for a bit and make Jaebum feel a little guilty. Jackson would either be ready to go, or be extremely angry, thereby erasing any guilty Jaebum could’ve had.

 

Jaebum decided that he would just try to get up as quietly as possible. He shifted so that he could sort of sit up, and then carefully moved Jackson’s head off his leg. He scrunched his knees to his chest and, using the headboard for balance, shakily stood. 

 

He took a moment, just standing and looking down at the two boys curled up at his feet. They were still sleeping soundly. Taking a breath, Jaebum lifted his leg and carefully placed his foot on Mark’s other side, jerkily shifting his hand along the headboard with a white-knuckled grip. He brought his other foot next to the first, and then leapt softly off the bed and onto the floor.

 

Jackson shifted, but then fell back into slumber.

 

With a sight, Jaebum exited the room, quietly closing the door behind him. He smiled and hugged himself.  _They’re so cute_ , he thought.  _And now…_ he checked his watch.  _12:14. Ah, lunch, then._  


Jaebum wandered over to the kitchen and checked the fridge. There wasn’t much in the way of leftovers, but Jaebum did notice a large block of cheese. Curious now, he checked the pantry and found noodles. 

 

“Mac and cheese it is,” he said, and found a pot in which he could set water to boil. If it was just him, he would’ve just made a small bowl in the microwave, but with two hungry hybrids to feed, it was going to take a lot more. A huge pot of noodles was definitely going to be more efficient. 

 

Once the water was boiled, he dumped in what was probably too many noodles, and then covered the pot and waited. He didn’t hear the footsteps behind him, so he jumped when a pair of skinny arms wrapped around his waist.

 

“I woke up and you weren’t there,” Mark said into his shoulder.

 

“Sorry,” Jaebum said. “I wanted to start on some lunch, and I didn’t want to wake you up.”

 

“Ooh, lunch,” Mark said, and Jaebum heard his stomach growl. “Good. I’m hungry!”

 

“I figured. We’re having a lot of mac and cheese. That okay?”

 

“Sounds wonderful.” Mark nuzzled further into Jaebum’s back. “Thank you, hyung.”

 

“No problem, Mark,” Jaebum said, placing his hands over Mark’s and rubbing soothing circles. “Can I have myself back for a second so I can drain the water out?

 

“Okay,” Mark said, reluctantly letting go. Jaebum carefully carried the steaming pot to the sink and drained out the water, then added a little bit of milk and a load of grated up cheese.

 

“Will you watch this, maybe stir it occasionally?” Jaebum asked. “I’m going to wake Jackson up.”

 

Mark nodded, and Jaebum hurried down the hall and into Mark’s room. Jackson had straightened out a bit. It looked like Mark had laid a blanket over him and put a pillow under his head.

 

“Jackson-ah,” Jaebum said softly, reaching out to pet his hair. “Wake up, I made lunch.”

 

Jackson opened his eyes slowly, vision unfocused. “Jaebum?”

 

“Yeah, it’s me, sweetie,” Jaebum said, loving this soft, non-bouncing-off-the-walls side of Jackson. “C’mon, you gotta eat.”

 

“I want to sleep.”

 

“You can’t eat in your sleep.”

 

“Well, I can’t sleep in my eat, either…” Jackson mumbled. Jaebum stifled a laugh.

 

“I know you’re tired, sleepyhead. But Mark and I are eating now, and I want you to eat while it’s still fresh.” Jaebum pushed the blanket off of Jackson and handed him a robe, helping him up into a sitting position. Jackson yawned widely in protest, flicking his ears. “C’mon,” Jaebum encouraged. “It’s mac and cheese.”

 

Jackson’s eyes shot open. “Mac and cheese?” he said loudly. Jaebum winced.  _There goes that_. “Why didn’t you say so?” He hopped to his feet and trotted out of the room, following his nose into the kitchen. Jaebum shook his head and went back to the kitchen.

 

“Here, Mark-ah, let me dish it out.” Jaebum made a grabby motion for the wooden ladle. Mark handed it over, and went to sit at the table with Jackson. Jackson tried to pull him into his lap, but Mark fended him off, mumbling about how they couldn’t eat that way. Jaebum brought three very full bowls of mac and cheese to the table and they all dug in. 

 

“Jaebum-hyung, you’re such a good cook,” Jackson mumbled around a mouthful of food.

 

“Thank you,” Jaebum said, beaming. 

 

“Are you staying tonight, Jackson?” Mark asked.

 

“No,” Jackson said guiltily. “I wanted to go home to see my parents. They worry.”

 

“That’s okay,” Jaebum said, smiling. “Hey, we can put some of this aside and you can bring it to them!”

 

“No, you don’t have to—”

 

“I made too much, anyway,” Jaebum said. “Seriously, I can always make it again. Your parents are so nice.”

 

“If you say so,” Jackson said dubiously, around another mouthful of mac and cheese. “More for me.”

 

“When do you have to be back?” Jaebum asked. 

 

“Eh, around four or so, probably.”

 

“So we can do something!” Mark said. “I vote video games.”

 

“Um,” Jaebum said.

 

“Yes!” Jackson agreed.

 

“How noisy,” Jaebum grumbled good-naturedly as he rose from the table, collecting dishes. “All right, but not Mario Kart. That ruins friendships.”

 

They settled on Wii Sports because Jackson wanted to get exercise. (Mark wanted Kirby Epic Yarn, but Jaebum had put his foot down.) They had an intense bowling competition, which ended with Jackson beating Jaebum by only four points, and Mark trailing cheerfully by a margin of about twenty. Jaebum didn’t take the loss lightly, and hit Jackson with a pillow, which lead to the discarding of Wii-motes and a raging pillow fight.

 

“Oof,” Jaebum said, flopping to the ground in a starfish position. “I’m ready for another nap.”

 

“Too bad,” Jackson said. “Because it’s 3:40 and you have to walk me home.”

 

“Oh! Right. Lemme change my shirt; this one’s all sweaty. You should change, too.”

 

“I’m fine,” Mark said. “I didn’t pillow fight.”

 

“You’re still sweaty,” Jackson argued. “You’re still  _gross_.”

 

“Am not! At least, that’s not what you were saying this morning,” Mark taunted back, and Jackson blushed. 

 

“Play nice, kids,” Jaebum said wearily, throwing his shirt off and grabbing a new one from the dryer. “All right, do you have the mac and cheese, Jackson? Are you bundled up? Mark, you have to put on a jacket, how many times do I have to tell you? I just claimed you, that doesn’t make me your parent, you should still be able to function by yourselves!”

 

Finally, Mark was wearing a light jacket and Jackson was clutching the container of mac and cheese. Jaebum had a flashlight, since it was starting to get dark earlier. They stepped out onto the porch. Jaebum locked the door behind them, and together they set off towards Jackson’s house.

 

“This is probably the last week without rain,” Mark said sadly, scuffing at leaves with his feet. “And then it won’t be crackly anymore, just mush.”

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum said. “But then it’ll be the holiday season! My parents always throw a fantastic Christmas Party—omo, you’ll meet my sister! She’ll be home this year.”

 

“Really?” Jackson asked. “She’s a hybrid, right? What kind? Is she nice? I’ve seen pictures. She’s very pretty.”

 

“She is very pretty,” Jaebum agreed. “She is a bluejay hybrid, so her hair has natural feathers woven into it. She dyed it dark blue to match. She’ll be delighted to meet you.”

 

“What’s her name again?” Mark asked.

 

“Im Min-seung,” Jaebum replied. “We turn right here?”

 

“Huh? Yeah,” Jackson said. “But we won’t meet her, not till Christmas? Aiyaaa, but that’s so far away.”

 

“Sorry.” Jaebum shrugged. “It’ll come soon enough.” They walked up to Jackson’s little house. He rang the doorbell. 

 

Mrs. Wang opened the door. “Wow, hello everyone!” she laughed. “It’s nice to see all of you again. Come in.”

 

“Oh, don’t worry about us,” Jaebum said. “We were just walking Jackson home to make sure he was safe. Mark and I have a project for macroeconomics to do.”

 

“Are you sure?” Mrs. Wang asked. “Oh, what’s this?” She took the container from Jackson. “Mac and cheese? Did you make this, Jaebum? You shouldn’t have, you’re too sweet!”

 

“We had a lot leftover. I forgot how much noodles expand in water.” Jaebum waved her off with a laugh. “Don’t worry, you’re really doing me a favor by taking it.”

 

“If you’re sure… well, it was nice of you to walk Jackson over.”

 

“We’ll see you tomorrow night?” Jaebum confirmed.

 

“Yeah, I’ll be over before it gets dark,” Jackson agreed. “Thanks for walking me.”

 

“Uh-huh. See you!” Jaebum said.

 

“Bye, Jackson! Goodnight, Mrs. Wang!” Mark said as he and Jaebum began to descend the porch steps.

 

“Goodnight, boys.” Mrs. Wang shut the door gently. 

 

“I’m glad you claimed him,” Mark said. “He has a lot of energy, but it’s kind of endearing.”

 

“And he’s hot,” Jaebum pointed out bluntly, watching out of the corner of his eyes as Mark blushed and grinned. “You really enjoyed this morning.”

 

“Yeah,” Mark said. “You don’t have to rub it in.”

 

Jaebum let out a soft shout of laughter. It floated up into the night sky, which was just beginning to darken. He linked his hand through Mark’s, watching the sun die on one side, and looking back to see stars appearing on the other.  _The world is harsh and cruel,_ he thought, remembering what he had told Mark.  _But it can be beautiful, too, as long as you have someone to share it with._  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> waaahh you guys are so nice, leaving kudos and comments!! thank you so much!!! ^^


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson and Jaebum bonding time (aka more pointless smut), and then we meet Bambam!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has a little bit of violence, and a little bit of blood and slight mentions of abuse (possibly), so trigger warning for that~ I will put bold warnings before the sections and then put a bold note at the end of the sections, so you can still read the other parts of the chapter if you are bothered/triggered by those things!

Without Jackson to worry about, Jaebum and Mark slept in very late the next morning, rising just past noon. Mark succeeded in making muffins, which they ate for what might as well have been lunch, along with some leftover mac and cheese. Mark also insisted that they get multiple bottles of lube for a few rooms of the house so that they wouldn’t accidentally make stupid decisions when one wasn’t within arms’ reach. Jaebum went out to do that himself, telling Mark to stay at home and keep warm, because he kept on sneezing.

 

Once he got back home, Jaebum actually did some homework in the afternoon, with Mark only coming over to help to finish their macroeconomics project. As planned, Jackson showed up around three, and Jaebum knew he would likely not be getting a lot of work done for the rest of the night. 

 

“My mom really liked the mac and cheese,” Jackson said as he hung up his coat. 

 

“I’m glad!” Jaebum said. “Look, Mark, Jackson even wears a coat.”

 

“I’m fine!” Mark said.

 

“He’s been sneezing all day,” Jaebum reported to Jackson.

 

Mark sneezed. “I’m fine!” he repeated fiercely.

 

“If you say so,” Jackson said, ears twitching in what Jaebum assumed was amusement. “I’m kinda tired,” he said. “Do you guys mind if I nap?”

 

“Why would we mind?” Jaebum asked. “How come you’re tired? Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah.” Jackson grinned. “ stayed up last night for some reason. I just… couldn’t fall asleep? I don’t know.”

 

“Okay, well, let me know if you’re not feeling well,” Jaebum said, waiting him retreat into his room. He rounded on Mark. “Why are you both sick?”

 

“I’m not sick!” Mark said.

 

“Mark, the first step is admitting you have a problem~!” Jaebum said sweetly.

 

“Shut up.”

 

“I’m just worried about you,” Jaebum said much more genuinely. “I don’t want one of my precious boys hurting.”

 

“I’m okay, hyung,” Mark replied softly, without a trace of anger. “I know. But I’m okay.”

 

Jaebum wrapped him up in a hug, pressing a kiss to the top of Mark’s head, and trying not to burst. He had only known Mark for a few weeks, but already he could safely say (in his head) that he loved him. He knew the same would likely soon be said about Jackson.  _It’s an issue I have, I guess,_ he thought to himself, not letting go of Mark.  _I can’t help but care about everyone I meet._  


“I suppose I should start making dinner,” Jaebum said as he released Mark. “What will it be?”

 

“I don’t care,” Mark said. “I’m not terribly hungry.”

 

“You’re sure you’re not sick?” Jaebum asked, half joking as he poked around in the kitchen.

 

“Yes!” Mark said, exasperated.

 

Jaebum rolled his eyes and poked through the fridge.  _Probably just heat up the rest of the mac and cheese_ , he figured to himself.  _And maybe force them to eat vegetables because otherwise the health in this household is going to decline real fast, coats or no coats._  


“Jaebum-hyung? I’m going to go take a shower and nap. Get me up for dinner?” Mark asked.

 

“What is with you two today?”

 

“I’m just tired!”

 

“Sure, fine. It’ll probably be around six.”

 

“Okay, thanks~!” Mark padded down the hall and disappeared.

 

The house seemed cold and empty without their company. Jaebum knew they were just down the hall and he wasn’t really alone, but it was just a reminder to him how quickly he’d gotten used to having them always by his side. He didn’t know what to do with himself.  _Alone time? What even is that anymore?_ he asked himself. It was kind of a laugh.

 

Feeling a bit out of it, he climbed the stairs to his room. The curtains were fluttering in the frigid late afternoon wind. Jaebum quickly shut the window and looked out on his darkening backyard. With nothing else to do, Jaebum situated himself on his bed and began to read, setting an alarm for 5:45 just to remind himself to go put dinner together.

 

He lost track of time in his book, back resting against pillows and the headboard of his bed. 

 

Around five o’clock, he heard a light knock on his door. He looked up, marking his place in his book when he saw it was a red-faced, bleary-eyed Jackson.

 

“Jackson-ah? Are you okay?”

 

The wolf hybrid shook his head, stumbling over the threshold. He was wearing nothing but a huge shirt, undoubtedly one of Jaebum’s. 

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Jackson blushed deeper. “I need your help,” he said hoarsely. “It hurts.”

 

Jaebum stretched his arms out to Jackson, catching onto the fact that this was one of Jackson’s sweeter, more vulnerable moods. “Come here, I’ll help you. What hurts?”

 

Jackson took a few faltering steps towards the bed, closing the door behind him. “It won’t go away—I tried everything.” Shyly, almost, he lifted the hem of his shirt to reveal his cock, bright red, hard, and leaking against his stomach. “ _Please_ , hyung.”

 

“Come here,” Jaebum repeated, swallowing. “What do you mean you’ve tried everything?”

 

“I already…” Jackson made a fleeting gesture. “Two times. It didn’t help. And then I tried to take a cold shower.”

 

“Is that why your skin feels like ice?” Jaebum asked, scooting to the edge of the bed to help the younger boy up. “I don’t need you to get sick!”

 

“I’m sorry,” Jackson mumbled, curling into Jaebum’s lap. “I didn’t know what to do.”

 

“You could’ve come up to me!” Jaebum said. “Earlier! Before you froze yourself to death!”

 

“Sorry,” Jackson repeated, and Jaebum felt something wet hit his arm. Shocked, he looked down to see Jackson crying.

 

“Oh no, please don’t cry!” Jaebum gasped. “I’m sorry, I know it hurts, baby. Tell me what you need. Shh, I got you, okay? What do you need?”

 

“I need you,” Jackson said in a very small voice.

 

Jaebum nodded, rubbing Jackson’s back. “Okay.” He lifted Jackson off of him and stretched across his bed to grab the new bottle of lube he had bought just that morning. Jackson took Jaebum’s spot at the headboard, leaning back and hiking up the shirt so it rested around his hips. Jaebum sat in between Jackson’s spread legs. 

 

“Scoot down a little more, otherwise it’ll hurt too much,” Jaebum instructed. Jackson did immediately. “Perfect.” Jaebum slicked up one finger and carefully pushed into Jackson. To his surprise, the boy was already sort of loose.

 

“I already did this with two fingers,” Jackson said, embarrassed. “I was hoping it would help.”

 

“Okay, that’s good,” Jaebum said, shrugging and adding more lube to his second finger before pushing both back in. “Makes my life easier.”

 

Jackson let his head drop back, gripping his cock and fisting up and down. Jaebum couldn’t deny him that, didn’t want to see any more tears over something like this. He worked to find Jackson’s prostate, smiling in satisfaction when Jackson shuddered and let out a long whimper. Jaebum added a third finger, moving faster and harder, and then a forth, every noise Jackson made going straight to his dick until he was straining against his boxers.

 

“Please, Jaebum,” Jackson whispered. “Please, it hurts too much,  _please_ , I need this, I need you,  _fuck_ , please.” The last part came out as a dry sob.

 

“I’ve got you, baby,” Jaebum whispered back. He pulled his fingers out and carefully shimmied out of his sweats. “Is this what you want?” he asked, looking Jackson in the eye as he coated his hand with lube and stroked himself.

 

“Yes, please!” Jackson gave a drawn-out whine. “Make me feel better.”

 

Jaebum moved closer to Jackson and gripped his hips, pushing into his flared hole. Jackson let out a breathy moan.

 

“Thank you,” he said, letting his eyes flutter closed. “Oh my  _god_ , please move, I’m ready, I’m fine! I need to come, Jaebum!”

 

Jaebum pulled out, and then thrust back in, gently building up the pace of his hips until they were snapping back and forth, skin hitting skin. Jackson clung to him, whining and moaning, so needy and trusting— _trusting_ Jaebum to take care of him and make him feel better. That trust lit something inside of Jaebum. He couldn’t help but take care of Jackson, not when he was like this.

 

“You're beautiful, Jackson," Jaebum said. "You look so good like this." Jackson preened as much as he could, with Jaebum railing into him. "I'm going to make you feel so good, don't worry."

 

Jackson cried out, hands moving faster over his dick. Jaebum watched for a second, and then had an idea. He stopped moving, and Jackson made a soft noise of anguish.

 

"Sorry, baby," Jaebum quickly apologized. "I was just thinking... do you want to ride me?"

 

"Yes," Jackson mewled. "Fuck, yes." He pushed himself to the side and let Jaebum take his place, just so the older boy would have something solid to rest his back against. As soon as Jaebum was still, he moved on top of him, back facing Jaebum, and sank down around Jaebum's cock. Jackson let out a long moan of satisfaction, and began moving up and down. He dropped down harder and harder every time, trying to get the head of Jaebum's cock to hit his prostate. Catching on, Jaebum started meeting him with shallow thrusts upward, shifting the angle of his hips. Jaebum knew he had found the right angle when Jackson screamed, stopping all movement for a second before picking it back up at an even faster pace.

 

Jackson let out loud cries of pleasure with even thrust, using his impressive thighs to keep the pace high. Jaebum felt heat begin to run down to his stomach, pooling there, then bunching. His thrusts were no longer quite matching Jackson's movements. Unsteadily, he reached around and found Jackson's cock, and began to jerk him off, since Jackson's hands were busy holding him up and he couldn't do it himself. Jackson's head dropped forward with a low-pitched, high-volume, “Ahh _hhhh_."

 

"It's okay, Jackson," Jaebum said soothingly. "You're so close, just let go.  _Shit_ ,  _Jackson_ , you look so good. That's it, baby," he added when Jackson let out another cry. "Come for me, it won't hurt,  _fuck,_  you're going to feel so  _good_." Jaebum leaned forward and pressed kisses along Jackson's back, pumping his dick even harder. 

 

Jackson grew taut with a scream that Jaebum was pretty sure Mark would not be able to sleep through. He shuddered, coating Jaebum's hand with sticky come, panting out Jaebum's name as he rode the high.

 

Jaebum felt Jackson clenching around him, and it was too  _much_ , it was too  _good_ , and he was coming, too, head leaning against the backboard, mouth parted in a silent groan, hips still spasming weakly into Jackson's ass.

 

Jackson unwilling pulled off of him, wincing, and barely managed to move over before collapsing at Jaebum’s side.

 

“Still hurt?” Jaebum murmured, stroking Jackson’s sweaty hair.

 

Jackson shook his head. “N-no,” he replied. “You did good, hyung.”

 

Jaebum slid down so that they were lying next to each other. He found Jackson’s mouth and kissed him gently. “I’m glad I was able to help,” he said. Jackson recaptured Jaebum’s lips in response. “Although,” Jaebum added. “You were really loud; I wouldn’t be surprised if Mark got startled out of his nap.”

 

“Oops,” Jackson said, blushing.

 

“I’m sure he won’t mind too much,” Jaebum replied. “If anything, he’d probably be a little mad that we didn’t ask him to join.”

 

Jackson shook his head and snuggled closer to Jaebum. Jaebum opened his arm to the blonde, hugging him tight. 

 

“Can we stay here for a bit?” Jackson asked softly.

 

“Of course,” Jaebum said.  _Jackson has two sides—crazy Jackson and sweet Jackson. I love both of them,_ he thought to himself. “I just have to have dinner ready around 6, because that’s when I told Mark I would wake him up.”

 

“Didn’t we just establish that he’s probably already awake?” Jackson asked sarcastically, voice slightly muffled by Jaebum’s shirt.

 

Jaebum laughed.  _Okay, maybe he has more than two sides after all_.

 

 

* * *

 

They lay there next to each other for a quarter of an hour, until Jaebum’s alarm went off, shocking both of them out of their skins. Jackson went downstairs to change back into normal clothes, and Jaebum pulled on his sweatpants and set the mac and cheese for a few minutes in the microwave. Then, he headed to Mark’s room.

 

“Mark-ah?” he said. “Dinner’s in a few minutes.”

 

Mark groaned. “Jaebum? My head really hurts, and my nose is getting stuffed up.”

 

“I knew it! I knew you were sick! Ugh,” Jaebum said. “One second.” He ran up and grabbed a couple cough masks, hooking one on himself and bringing the other one back for Mark. “Put this on. Okay, I’m going to get you some Advil, and I’ll bring a thermometer to see what you’re temperature is like. You feel really warm.”

 

“You were right, Jaebum,” Mark said. “I’ll listen next time.” He sighed, pouting. “I really don’t feel good.”

 

“I know, sweetheart,” Jaebum said softly. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to make you feel better, okay? Do you still want dinner?”

 

Mark shook his head. “I just want to be able to breathe so I can go to sleep.”

 

Jaebum nodded and hurried back upstairs to his bathroom, where he kept his medicine. To his shock and dismay, he only had three sinus-clearing tablets left. He had absolutely no cough medicine, and only a small jar of Advil. “Yikes,” he muttered. He grabbed one tablet and two Advil, snagged the thermometer, and headed back downstairs.

 

“Where’s Mark?” Jackson asked, emerging from his room.

 

“He’s not feeling well,” Jaebum said worriedly. “If you’re going to come in, grab a cough mask. Do you think you could heat up some warm water for him? Also check on the mac and cheese, it’s probably done. I think I might have to make a drug store run; I’m all out of supplies.”

 

“Okay!” Jackson said, picking up on the note of urgency in Jaebum’s voice. “Don’t worry, Jaebum-hyung.”

 

Jaebum shook his head, and went back into Mark’s room. “Hey, baby,” he whispered. “I’m real low on cold medicine. I did find some Advil and something for your nose, but I’m going to have to go out to restock. You should probably eat something before you take them, okay? Jackson and I will eat a quick dinner and then we’ll go on a shopping run. I was thinking about taking him with me just because it’s dark out and I don’t trust the streets at night. I’ll make sure the lock up before I leave, and you’ll have your phone. Is that okay?”

 

“Yeah,” Mark said hoarsely. Jaebum placed the three pills on a tissue on Mark’s bedside table. He sat on the edge of Mark’s bed and gathered the younger boy into his arms. Mark wrapped his skinny arms around Jaebum’s chest. 

 

“You need to take better care of yourself,” Jaebum reprimanded gently. “I can only do so much, you know? I’m sorry you’re feeling so bad.”

 

Jackson stuck his head into the room. “The mac and cheese is ready.”

 

“Cough mask, cough mask!” Jaebum exclaimed, flapping his hands at Jackson. “I’ll be back in a second,” he told Mark. 

 

“Where are the cough masks?” Jackson asked rather sullenly.

 

“Upstairs in my room,” Jaebum said. “In the medicine cabinet. You only really need one if you want to visit Mark. We should eat soon, though, so just keep that in mind.”

 

“I’ll be quick,” Jackson said, taking the steps two at a time.

 

Jaebum shrugged and headed to the kitchen. He dished a small portion of mac and cheese out into a bowl, and grabbed a spoon and took it back for Mark.

 

“Thanks,” Mark said, accepting the bowl and carefully taking a bite. Jaebum wouldn’t let him take the pills until he’d eaten most of what was in the bowl. Finally, Jaebum deemed it enough, and handed him the pills and a water bottle. Mark swallowed them gratefully. 

 

“Sleep,” Jaebum said, taking the bowl from him. “You need rest. Jackson and I will go out to get more medicine, and probably a lot of soup. We’ll be back before long.”

 

Mark nodded, sinking down into his bed, pulling the blankets around his shoulders. Jaebum leaned over and brushed Mark’s hair out his eyes before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

 

He found Jackson in the kitchen practically inhaling a bowl of mac and cheese. 

 

“What happened to visiting Mark?”

 

“I wanted to eat,” Jackson replied. “Are we going out to get supplies?”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said. “I was hoping you would come with me. I don’t like being alone in the dark.”

 

“Of course. Mark’s just sleeping, after all.” Jackson stood, bowl empty. “Hurry up, hyung, I don’t want to be out too late.”

 

Jaebum rolled his eyes, scarfing down his meal as Jackson ran in between the kitchen, his room, and the front door, trying to get him to hurry up. Finally, they were ready to go. Jaebum had called a taxi from his dad’s company and checked to make sure all the windows and doors were locked. They waited on the sidewalk in front of Jaebum’s driveway.

 

The taxi arrived before long and whisked them off into the city. They were dropped off at a small drugstore. It was kind of sketchy, next to an alley, but it was cheap and fast and had what they needed. Jaebum grabbed a package of Day-Quil and a package of Ny-Quil, along with a lot of cough drops and cough patches and more Advil. Jackson shoved a few bags of candy in the basket when Jaebum was looking through canned soups, insisting that sugar was a great cure for the common cold. Nevertheless, they were in and out in just over fifteen minutes.

 

The taxi was waiting for them outside the store. Jaebum was just about to open the door when he heard a clang from the alley, and a shout, and then the echoed words, “ _Keep still, you filthy little hybrid!_ ” followed by some incoherent muttering and the sound of a struggle.

 

Both he and Jackson slowly turned around. 

 

“Are we going to get check on that?” Jackson asked softly.

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said, carefully putting the medicine on the front seat. “Can you please wait for us here for a minute? I heard something from that alley, and I want to go check it out.”

 

“Of course,” the driver said, nodding.

 

Jackson and Jaebum flitted quickly to the entrance of the alley. They could see a few dark shapes about halfway down the alley. They didn’t seem to notice the two boys. Jaebum motioned Jackson onward, and they crept closer.

 

“…useless, isn’t that right?” one of them was saying. Jaebum figured he was male, judging by his voice. Jaebum saw the the speaker was holding a much smaller figure tight against the wall. The smaller figure wrestled an arm free and feebly tried to punch his captor.

 

**{{TW: IT GETS KINDA VIOLENT/SLIGHTLY GRAPHIC HERE}}**

 

“I thought I drugged him!” the third and final figure said, sounding annoyed.

 

“Did you double the dosage? You know how this filth is—their systems work different.”

 

“Yeah, but he’s so small.”

 

At that moment, the small hybrid seemed to have realized they were distracted and had used the opportunity to aim a kick at the one holding him against the wall. He missed, and Jaebum winced as the man brutally shoved the hybrid’s legs against the wall and grabbed his chin, forcing it upwards to expose his neck. 

 

“I thought cats were supposed to be docile,” he snarled. “Can you keep quiet until we can get you somewhere we can use you?”

 

“I don’t belong to a brothel,” the hybrid forced out. “You can’t use me!”

 

“You don’t belong to anyone,” the man bit out. “And you know why? Because no one wants scum like you.” His fist connected with the boy’s cheek, and the hybrid’s head lolled sideways.

 

“Hey!” Jackson yelled. He and Jaebum had closed in enough that the duo wouldn’t be able to run away with their prey. “Let him go!”

 

Jaebum kind of wanted to punch Jackson. That wasn’t exactly how you were supposed to go about these things. What if they had weapons? But it was too late.

 

“This isn’t your concern,” one of the men spat. “If you don’t want to get hurt, stay out.”

 

“It is my concern,” Jaebum said. “If you’re treating a hybrid that way. You can’t treat people like that.”

 

“It’s not a person.”

 

“He is,” Jaebum replied, clenching his fists. He saw Jackson’s face harden. “Let him go.”

 

“Are you stupid?” One of the men advanced on him; Jaebum held his ground. “Do you need a little mental recalibration?” He was close now. He swung. Jaebum ducked out of the way, aiming a kick at his crotch. He aimed well, and the man doubled over, howling in rage and pain. Jaebum struck a blow at the man’s scapula, and he crumpled, trying to struggle back to his feet. Jackson was tussling with the other man, who had left the hybrid slumped on the ground (who seemed only half-conscious.) Jackson ripped out of the man’s grip, and punched him hard in the face, twice, beating him back in the opposite direction of their car. He kicked the man’s stomach, pushing him back further. Jaebum saw blood on Jackson’s fists.

 

“It’s not worth it!” the one Jaebum had fought yelled, having finally managed to clamber to his feet. “Roy, c’mon, it’s not worth it, leave that thing with them if they want it. We don’t need trouble, let’s get out of here.” They both turned and staggered away. 

 

“Help me with him,” Jaebum said to Jackson, dropped to his knees to support the limp hybrid. “Hey,” he said softly. “We’re not going to hurt you. You need to get cleaned up.”

 

“Please,” the little hybrid said as Jaebum sat him up, carefully supporting his head. “Please don’t take me to the hospital. They’ll know I don’t have a legal owner then, and they’ll send me to the auction house. Please.” His voice was panicked and scared.

 

“I’m taking you to my house,” Jaebum said as Jackson grabbed one of the kid’s arms. “Don’t worry.” They made a slow procession back to the street. As the light grew slightly, Jaebum realized the boy’s face was covered in blood, and one eye was nearly swollen shut. He coughed, and blood came up, too. “Hey, I’ve got you,” Jaebum said, trying not to panic. “What’s your name?”

 

**{{And we’re good!}}**

 

The tiny hybrid raised his head, battered ears flicking dully. “Bambam. I’m a ginger cat hybrid.”

 

“Okay, Bambam, I’m Jaebum. That’s Jackson. Here’s what I’m going to do. I have a car waiting at the street. Jackson’s going to help you into the backseat, and I’m going to run in and get some bandaging.” Jaebum eyed the boy. “Okay, maybe more than just some. And then I’ll try my best to bandage you up on the way home. When we get to my house, I’ll do a better job there. You said you have no guardians?”

 

“My parents died in a crash a year ago, so technically I should be at an auction house, but I’ve been staying out of trouble.” Bambam hung his head. “Please don’t be mad. Please don’t get me in trouble.”

 

“I’m not going to,” Jaebum promised fiercely. “If it’s all right with you, I might just keep you.”

 

Bambam didn’t respond. Jaebum understood why. He didn’t look like he’d gotten good treatment or love from anyone in a long time. He also looked like he was about fifteen, which made it worse.

 

Jackson helped Bambam into the car, quickly explaining to the driver what had happened. Jaebum jogged back into the store and grabbed lots of gauze pads, prewrap, tape, and anti-infection spray, along with some cleansing wipes. He hurried back out the car and told the driver to get them back home as quickly as possible.

 

“Put his head in my lap,” Jaebum said to Jackson, ripping open the wipes with his teeth. Jackson carefully shifted the small boy, lowering his head onto Jaebum’s thighs. Jaebum grabbed a wipe and began gently swabbing at Bambam’s temples.

 

“What are we going to do about the eye?” Jackson asked.

 

“Put ice on it when we get home, and hope the swelling goes down soon so the poor boy can see,” Jaebum replied absently. He found the source of all the blood, a wide, shallow gash that went from above Bambam’s eyebrow to his temple. He also had some small cuts on his cheeks. He wiped the wounds clean. “Bambam, this might hurt a bit. It’s anti-infection spray to keep the cut clean. Okay?”

 

Bambam nodded weakly. Jaebum steadied his head, covering Bambam’s eyes to ensure none of the spray would go in. He aimed carefully and sprayed a few pumps down the cut, immediately placing gauze over it, and using the tape to hold it in place. The smaller cuts he just sprayed, and then dabbed and fan-dried.

 

“I’ll carry all the supplies,” Jackson said. 

 

“Thanks, I got Bambam,” Jaebum replied. “Thank you!” he said to the driver, pressing a small tip into his hand, before scooting out of the car and helping Bambam out as well. “Can you make it to the door?”

 

“Yes,” Bambam said, and Jaebum heard a note of stubborn determination enter the boy’s voice. He grinned, and they made slow progress up the steps. Jaebum fished out the keys and they slipped into the house.

 

“Jaebum-hyung? Jackson?” Mark called from the kitchen. “You’ve been gone almost an hour and a half.”

 

“We… ran into some complications,” Jaebum said. “I found another hybrid.”

 

“We had to beat some guys up in a dark alley!” Jackson yelled.

 

“Are… are you all okay?” Mark asked uncertainly, poking his head around the corner.

 

“Well,” Jaebum said as Mark’s eyes landed on Bambam. “We’re not so sure.” He looked Mark up and down. “On the other hand, you look like you’re feeling a little bit better.”

 

“I don’t have a headache anymore. I don’t know if it was the Advil or the sleep.”

 

“Well, I brought lots more,” Jaebum said, nodding at Jackson. “I have cold medicine and cough drops and everything. If you don’t mind, I need to get him somewhere I can clean him up. Probably could just fill up a bath. What he really needs is rest.”

 

“I’ll help fill up the bath,” Mark said, hurrying off to the nearest empty guest room.

 

“Jackson, you can put those on the kitchen counter. We’ll put them all away later,” Jaebum said, readjusting Bambam. “C’mon, kid, just a little bit and you can sleep.”

 

Mark was filling the tub when Bambam and Jaebum reached the room. “Okay, Bambam, do you need help, or can you do it on your own? I don’t want you to drown. The tub is kind of big, since you’re so small.” Jaebum placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders, sitting him down on the edge of the tub.

 

“I should probably get some help,” Bambam said, voice barely audible. 

 

“It’s okay,” Jaebum soothed. “I won’t hurt you. I just want you to be safe.”

 

“He really means well,” Mark said. “I’m a cat hybrid too, see?” He used his tail to gently poke Bambam’s ears. “He treats us really well. If you want me to stay here, if that makes you more comfortable…”

 

Bambam shot a worried look at Jaebum. “I don’t mean any offense,” he prefaced quickly. “But that would be nice. It’s just, I really don’t trust normal humans much. “It’s nothing against you personally, I promise, I’m just… I’m just scared.”

 

“That’s okay. Actually,” Jaebum said. “Let me get Jackson to do it, and you know why? No, don’t argue, Mark, you’re sick. I don’t want you to get him sick. You should be in bed!”

 

“Someone say they needed me?” Jackson poked his head into the bathroom.

 

“Can you help Bambam?” Jaebum asked. “I scare him because I’m not a hybrid—which, by the way, Bam, is totally valid and I’m not mad at all, okay? Mark might get him sick; I need to quarantine this boy.”

 

“No problem,” Jackson said, crossing to Bambam and smiling sweetly at him. “I’m a wolf hybrid,” he introduced. “I’ll take care of you, okay?”

 

Bambam nodded, letting Jackson pull off his top layer.

 

“C’mon,” Jaebum said to Mark. “You need to be in bed. I’ll give you a dose of Nyquil, and some cough drops, and then you need to sleep.”

 

“But what about Bambam?” Mark asked as they left the room.

 

“He’ll be here in the morning, don’t worry. You need to focus on getting well soon.” Mark pouted as Jaebum pushed him into his own room. “I’ll be right back.” Jaebum brought back a Nyquil pill along with five or six cough drops, and handed them all to Mark, turning off the lights. “Sweet dreams, Markie. Rest well, okay?”

 

“Goodnight,” Mark said, resigned to his fate. 

 

Jaebum closed the door and headed back to Bambam’s room. He heard Jackson murmuring something to Bambam, but he wasn’t quite sure what. It sounded soothing and encouraging, though. Soon enough, Bambam emerged from the bathroom in Jackson’s arms, wrapped in a couple towels. 

 

“Here,” Jaebum said, handing Jackson the smallest pair of boxers and pajama pants he could find. Jackson gently deposited Bambam on the bed, and the smallest boy ducked under the covers to pull on the boxers and pants. 

 

“Take a shirt, you’ll catch cold,” Jackson said, giving him a soft cotton one. “Are you going to be okay? I’m just next door if you need anything.”

 

Bambam nodded sleepily. Jaebum noted that while his eye had bloomed a bright purple, the swelling had gone down. “I’ll be okay, hyung,” he murmured.

 

“Okay, goodnight,” Jackson said, turning off the lights and ushering Jaebum out with him.

 

“I’m worried about him there all alone.”

 

“He’s going to sleep through the night, and probably well into tomorrow,” Jackson pointed out.

 

“Yes, but we have classes tomorrow.”

 

“Skip.”

 

“I shouldn’t.”

 

“This is important. It’ll probably be just for one day.”

 

“Fine,” Jaebum said. “Mark’s sick, anyway, and you don’t have Monday morning class. We’ll all stay home.”

 

“Yay!” Jackson hugged Jaebum tightly. “Okay, I’m going to bed. I’m drained.”

 

“Me too. Goodnight, Jackson.”

 

“Goodnight, hyung!”

 

Jaebum made his way upstairs to his shower. Bambam, he had noticed, was incredibly skinny. He was cute and weak and it worried Jaebum, because the cute, weak ones were always such easy targets. He also remembered the men mentioning they’d drugged him. Hopefully it hadn’t been anything terribly harmful, and it would be out of his system soon.  _For now,_ he said to himself _, all we can do is keep those wounds clean and feed him and hope for the best. No use losing sleep over something you can’t control._  


Even though he told himself this, it was a few hours before he finally managed to fall into an exhausted slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aiyeeeee thank you all for your sweet comments!! I'm glad you like my fic!! Thank you for the kudos as well, you guys are the best~~


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bambam settles in~

 

Jaebum forced himself to rise early that morning. He figured huge pancakes would be the cure to anything, so he got started on those as the rest of the house slept. Jackson appeared in the kitchen not too long after, being the early bird he was.

 

“Good morning, Jaebum-hyung,” he said sweetly. “Are those pancakes?”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said. “Do you think you could go check on Bambam for me?”

 

Jackson nodded, and left the room. He led a sleepy Bambam into the kitchen shortly afterwards.

 

“How are you feeling, Bambam?” Jaebum asked as he set a couple plates onto the table. 

 

“Better,” the little hybrid said, giving a yawn. “Hungry.”

 

“That’s a good sign,” Jaebum said, catching Jackson’s eye and giving him a victorious smile, which he returned. “I made pancakes.”

 

“Thank you,” Bambam said.

 

“I’m going to go get Mark,” Jaebum said. “And then we’re going to talk, okay?” Jackson and Bambam both nodded. Jaebum saw a shadow of fear flit across Bambam’s face.

 

“Mark,” Jaebum said, poking his head in the door. “We’re all having breakfast, and I want to talk to Bambam as… as…”  _As a family._ “…as a group,” he finished lamely.

 

“Okay,” Mark croaked out. 

 

“What happened to your voice?” Jaebum exclaimed as Mark emerged from his cocoon of blankets. 

 

“I lost it,” Mark said. “I’m fine.”

 

Jaebum eyed him, shaking his head. They reentered the kitchen, where Bambam was laughing at something Jackson had just said. As soon as Bambam caught sight of Jaebum, he sobered, worry lines appearing out of nowhere. 

 

Jaebum took a seat. “Okay, Bambam. How old are you?”

 

“I’ll be 18 in a few months,” he said, avoiding eye contact.

 

“Really?” Jaebum said skeptically. “You look—”

 

“Like I’m twelve, I know,” Bambam replied. “Really, I am almost of age.”

 

“I believe you,” Jaebum said, wanting to. “Okay, well, we have two options. Well, three, but none of us want the third one. The first is once you’re healed up, you can leave. The second is you stay with me, with us, here.”

 

“I’d… I’d like to stay,” Bambam said softly, shooting a look at Jackson. “You guys are nice, and it’s warm and safe here.”

 

“We’d be happy to have you,” Mark piped up. 

 

“Yeah, you seem like more fun than Mark-hyung,” Jackson added, sticking his tongue out at Mark.

 

“Perfect,” Jaebum said, settling back in his chair. “Bam, you don’t have to be scared of me, okay? I might look a little scary—”

 

“You really don’t,” Jackson interrupted.

 

“But I would never, ever hurt you,” Jaebum continued, choosing to ignore the wolf hybrid. “I just want you to know that.”

 

Bambam nodded. “I’m just… skittish, I guess.”

 

“That’s okay,” Jaebum said. “I’ll keep my distance till you’re comfortable.”

 

Bambam nodded again. Jaebum saw tension leave his face.  _He thought we were going to report him, or throw him out, I bet_ , he thought.  _That must have been why he was so scared._

It was a good day off. They spent most of it lazing around. Jaebum re-dressed Bambam’s wounds, which were getting much better. After seeing Jackson hug Jaebum a couple of times, randomly, because that’s what Jackson does, he shyly thanked Jaebum for taking care of his injuries by giving him a hug, too. Jaebum was ready to burst with pride. He gave the small boy a bracelet identical to the ones Jaebum and Mark always wore, explaining that he didn’t expect him to wear it all the time, or at all, but just that it was his, to show he belonged to someone, if he wanted it. 

 

“It’ll protect me,” Bambam said firmly, slipping the bracelet over his wrist. “I’m going to wear it.”

 

“You get so worried when you hand those out,” Mark noted. “But the thing is, no one really minds, Jaebum-hyung! I like it. I think it looks really cool. And like Bambam said, it means anyone who messes with us has someone to answer to, so if we were to get into some sort of situation, people would think twice.”

 

“I just don’t want to make them like collars,” Jaebum said.

 

“He’s very against collars,” Mark informed Bambam.

 

“You really don’t have to worry, hyung,” Jackson reassured him. “We like them.” He spun his bracelet around his wrist fondly.

 

Jaebum pulled Mark aside when Jackson had Bambam distracted. “You might want to talk to him… about us. Do stress that he should not at all feel obligated to join, and that we’ll still welcome and love him all the same. I don’t know when is a good time to bring it up… Probably not for a while. But whenever you think is a good time, preferably with Jackson and without me.”

 

Mark nodded seriously. “I know, hyung,” he said. “I’ll be careful with him.”

 

Jaebum hugged Mark, ruffling his hair. “I hope he trusts me eventually.”

 

“Don’t worry,” Mark said sweetly, his eyes lit and hopeful. “He will.”

 

It was not the first or the last time Jaebum marveled over Mark’s  _goodness_.

 

* * *

 

A peaceful week passed. Bambam took to sleeping a lot, which was good since the other three couldn’t very well take him with them to the university. He didn’t have his own phone, but it worked out because the house did, so if he needed anything, he could call one of the three. Jaebum always called him during his lunch breaks just to check in and make sure he was safe and happy.

 

“Hey, guys?” Jaebum said at dinner Thursday night. “I can’t be here tomorrow night. My dad wants me to sit in on a meeting. I’ll not be back until late. I might actually spend the night at my dad’s condo, and then come back here early in the morning.”

 

“Okay,” Mark said. “We should be fine. We’re adults.”

 

“It’s Jackson I don’t trust,” Jaebum said teasingly. 

 

“Yah, hyung, why are you so mean?”

 

Bambam laughed, grabbing at Jackson’s arm before he could throw a fry at Jaebum. “I’ll miss you,” he told Jaebum shyly. earning him a smile of reassurance from the older boy.

 

“I’ll miss you, too,” he said. 

 

“We’ll take care of you,” Mark said, and then cooed, trying to poke Bambam’s face. Bambam slapped him away, annoyed, and then sighed and blew a kiss because Mark was pouting, clutching his stinging hand.

 

It was settled. Mark and Jackson would be home Friday night with Bambam, so Jaebum wasn’t worried. In fact, he was a little bit relieved. It was the perfect opportunity for the other two to talk to Bambam.

 

“You’ll talk to him tonight?” Jaebum confirmed on the way to class the next morning.

 

“Of course,” Mark said. “I was already thinking about it.”

 

“Jaebum-hyung is just high-strung because he hasn’t gotten to fuck one of us in a week,” Jackson said. Mark slapped his hand over Jackson’s mouth, chiding him for swearing. 

 

“He’s going to have to know eventually!” Jaebum said defensively, even though part of him knew Jackson was kind of right. “Better now than later.”

 

“Sure,” Jackson said, rolling his eyes.

 

* * *

 

_Mark’s POV_

Mark and Jackson bid Jaebum goodbye at the front gates of the school, and walked home together. Jackson was bouncing around, ripping leaves off of low-hanging branches, tail slashing through the air. Mark followed at a more steady pace, thinking about how to talk to Bambam.  _It had been easy with Jackson,_ he reflected.  _He brought it up. I don’t think Bambam would._

“Jackson?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I don’t know how to talk to Bambam about this. I don’t know how to bring it up,” Mark said. “We can’t just flat out say, 'so, we’re in an open relationship with Jaebum, wanna join?’ It doesn’t work like that.”

 

“It doesn’t?” Jackson said.

 

“It doesn’t!” Mark exclaimed. “Seriously, when you first came here, what were you thinking?”

 

“Well, I saw that you guys liked each other a lot. And so I just… Kind of brought it up.”

 

“Yeah, but Bambam isn’t going to do that.”

 

“No,” Jackson agreed. He thought for a minute. “No, I got it!”

 

“What?” Mark asked warily.

 

“Truth or Dare.” Jackson stated triumphantly. “No, listen to me, we’ll make it light a big sleepover since Jaebum-hyung isn’t home. And we’ll suggest some fun sleepover games. We can start with a few fun rounds of would you rather, or FMK, just so he’s not suspicious.”

 

I’m sorry,” Mark said, shaking his head. “I really fail to see how that’s going to help us.”

 

“It gives us free range to ask questions,” Jackson said.

 

“We can try it, but don’t be overly obvious or pushy, okay?” Mark said. He knew Jackson wasn’t going to let go of the idea.

 

They heated up some microwave dinners and joked around, glad for the weekend and a night free of Jaebum’s fretting. Mark missed him a little bit, because he was often the only voice of reason when Jackson and Bambam got a little too hyper.

 

“Since Jaebum-hyung isn’t here, we can stay up as late as we want,” Jackson said. “Let’s all go to one of our rooms and talk!”

 

“Ooh, like a sleepover?” Bambam asked, eyes shining. “Yeah, let’s do it!”

 

Mark had to give it to Jackson. Bambam was totally buying it, totally loving it. Maybe it would be easy.

 

“Whose room?” Mark asked. “Mine’s pretty clean.”

 

“If you don’t mind?” Jackson asked.

 

“It’s cool,” Mark replied. Bambam grabbed some snacks and they all ended up on the floor of Mark’s room, hugging pillows and talking.

 

“We should play a game,” Bambam suggested. Mark shook his head internally, unable to believe how perceptive Jackson was. “What are the fun ones? Let’s just do Truth or Dare, it’s a classic!"

 

“Sure,” Jackson said easily, catching Mark’s eye. “You first, truth or dare?”

 

“Dare,” Bambam said after some deliberation.

 

“Go easy on him, Jackson,” Mark warned.

 

“I dare you to hug Jaebum-hyung tomorrow first thing and tell him sweetly how much you missed him,” Jackson said.

 

“I was going to do that anyway,” Bambam replied, shrugging. “Okay, Mark, truth or dare?”

 

“Truth,” Mark said firmly.

 

“Are you a virgin?”

 

“Yah!” Mark yelled. “Why are you asking?”

 

“Because you seem like one,” Bambam said.

 

“I’m not!” Mark said hotly, offended. “How do I seem like one?”

 

“You’re the oldest, but you’re the nicest… I don’t know,” Bambam said with a shrug.

 

He did have a point. Mark, on the surface, was the most innocent-looking one.

 

“Okay, Bambam,” Mark said, still a little hurt. “Truth or dare?”

 

“Truth.”

 

“Are  _you_ a virgin?”

 

“No,” Bambam said evenly. “Jackson, truth or dare?”

 

“Dare!” 

 

“I dare you to kiss Jaebum when he gets back.” Bambam looked at Jackson out of the corner of his eyes. Mark saw surprise when Jackson shrugged.

 

“Okay, just on the cheek, right?”

 

“Uh, yeah,” Bambam said. He looked a little confused.  _Oh, no_.

 

“Okay,” Jackson said. “Mark, truth or dare?”

 

“Truth,” Mark replied. 

 

“Sexual orientation?”

 

“Gay,” Mark said, forcing his voice even, and trying to see Bambam’s reaction without looking at him.

 

“Me too!” Bambam burst out. Mark looked over at him.  _Oh._ Bambam was bright-eyed and relieved.  _He must’ve been holding that in. He was probably afraid to tell us._ Mark shifted his gaze to Jackson, who was smiling faintly at Bambam.  _Oh. And he knew. And he wanted to give Bambam an easy out. Maybe I don’t trust Jackson enough._

“Well, I suppose I have to say I’m pan,” Jackson said dryly.

 

“What about Jaebum-hyung?” Bambam asked. “Do you know? Because it would be awesome if we were all—”

 

“He’s gay,” Jackson said, nodding. “He told us.”

 

“And he’s okay with you telling me?” Bambam said, suddenly looking a little worried. “I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t have asked. It’s just that I was really excited, and it kind of slipped out.”

 

“No, it’s fine,” Mark said. “He… wanted us to talk to you about it anyway.”

 

“No way?” Bambam said. “Why?”

 

“Just to let you know, in case you, I dunno, were against it,” Jackson lied smoothly. “It’s your turn, Mark.”

 

“Huh? Oh.” Mark glanced around. “Uh, Bambam.”

 

“Truth,” he said.

 

“How old are you?”

 

“I’m 17!”

 

“I’m just checking!”

 

Bambam frowned, making a face at Mark. “You don’t look your age either,” he informed him. “Okay, Jackson.”

 

“Dare,” Jackson said.

 

“Kiss Mark. On the lips.”

 

Mark was a little shocked.  _Was he just messing around, or did he know?_

 

Jackson stretch across their little circle, using his impressive arms to support himself. Mark met him about a quarter of the way by leaning forward, and pecked him on the lips. Bambam gave a yell.

 

“I knew it!” He let out another shout, excited, and high-fived himself.

 

“What?” Jackson asked, having retreated to his original position.

 

“You two are a couple, right?” Bambam asked.

 

“Well—”

 

“Sort of—”

 

“It’s complicated.”

 

“Does this mean I get Jaebum?” 

 

“What—no, not exactly,” Mark spluttered.

 

“What he means is, yes, but also no,” Jackson said. He looked over at Mark. “I’m just gonna say it.”

 

“What, the way I told you exactly not to say it?”

 

“Yep.” Jackson turned back to Bambam. “We’re in an open relationship with Jaebum. Wanna join?” Mark put his head in his hands. “You don’t have to. The point is mostly just for mutual support and comfort from everyone in the house. Of course, if you say no, we’re not going to  treat you any different than we have. It you say yes, then we will treat you different than we have been.”

 

“I knew there was something going on, I knew it!” Bambam punched a pillow. “Not that you guys weren’t subtle. I just—I don’t know. I could tell. Anyway, yes, yeah, I’m in. I trust you guys. I trust Jaebum, I really do.” He blushed faintly. “I think he’s very attractive."

 

“See, I told you it wouldn’t be that hard!” Jackson said to Mark.

 

“Yeah, you’re right, I have no faith,” Mark said tiredly. He closed his eyes, grinning and shaking his head. 

 

He felt arms around his shoulders and opened his eyes again. It was Bambam, kneeling behind him. “I’m glad,” the small boy said softly. Mark turned and pressed a quick kiss to Bambam’s temple.

 

“I’m glad too,” he said. Jackson joined the hug, facing Mark and coaxing Bambam into his lap. They spent a good amount of time like that, whispering and laughing and tickling each other and giving kisses to make up for it.  _All in all,_ Mark thought to himself,  _it went pretty well. Jaebum will be so proud. I’ll make sure he knows it was all Jackson._

* * *

 

_Jaebum’s POV_

Jaebum got up at seven in the morning so he could head back to his house and not leave others alone anymore. He took a company cab and arrived around 7:30. He slipped through the front door, closing it softly behind him, and tiptoed down the hall to peek into Mark’s room.

 

The sight that greeted him was both adorable and encouraging. Jackson and Mark were curled towards each other, with Bambam on his stomach in between them. They had their hands clasped on top of Bambam’s back. One of Mark’s legs was slotted in between Jackson’s shins. 

 

Jaebum smiled to himself and closed the door. There wasn’t a need to wake them yet. He headed into the kitchen to drop off the box of waffles his dad made him take him, and then went up to his room to clean up a little and read. Before long, he heard sleepy voices downstairs. He was just walking out his bedroom door when he heard Jackson yell, “Jaebum-hyung~~~~~~~~~~~!! Where are you~~~~?”

 

“No need to be so loud,” Jaebum said cheerfully, walking down the steps. “I wanted to let you three sleep in.”

 

“I missed you yesterday, hyung!” Bambam cried, running up to him and hugging him tightly around his waist. 

 

Jackson sauntered up and kissed Jaebum’s cheek quickly. “We explained everything,” he said. “And Bambam’s in.”

 

“Perfect,” Jaebum said, giving a sigh of relief, looking down at Bambam. “I was a little worried about how you would take it.”

 

“I think it’s nice,” Bambam said softly.

 

“So do I.” Jaebum pulled out of his hug with the smaller boy. “I suppose you all want breakfast?”

 

“Yes!” they chorused.

 

“You’re in luck, because I brought home some really great Belgium waffles that my dad ordered for me.” Jaebum grinned and gestured towards the kitchen. “They’re on the table. If you’re lucky, they’re still warm.”

 

Bambam and Jackson started yelling excitedly, and Jackson hefted the smaller boy over his shoulder and charged into the kitchen.

 

“How was last night?” Jaebum asked Mark softly.

 

“I missed you,” Mark said. “Those two are crazy.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Jaebum ran his fingers through Mark’s hair lovingly. “Maybe I can make it up to you later today. Just you and me?”

 

Mark nodded, nosing his way into Jaebum’s chest. “Yeah,” he sighed softly. “That would be nice.” Jaebum smiled and rubbed his back. Mark looked up at him, straightening his posture so that they were almost eye to eye. Jaebum pressed a quick kiss to Mark’s lips. 

 

“The talk went well, though?”

 

“Would you believe it was mostly Jackson’s doing?”

 

Jaebum raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

 

“Yeah, he understands Bambam. It’s kinda unreal.” Mark laughed, shaking out his hair. “I’m really glad they get along well.“

 

”And what about you?” Jaebum asked. “Do you get along well with them?”

 

Mark nodded seriously. “Yeah. I balance with them,” he said. “They match.”

 

“We match,” Jaebum said, nudging Mark playfully.

 

Mark laughed in agreement, and they ducked into the kitchen to find their absence had gone completely unnoticed. Bambam was exclaiming over the waffles and Jackson was trying to stop him from adding to much whipped cream. Mark and Jaebum took their places at the table. Jaebum rescued a waffle for Mark and handed him a fork, and sat back, having already eaten.

 

The weather wasn’t bad, and Jackson wanted to go out for a run. Bambam, who was bursting with energy, wanted to go with him, and they were out of the house in no time. leaving Jaebum and Mark alone.

 

Mark was blinking sleepily, full, and still clearly exhausted from a night spent with actual bundles of pure energy. Jaebum cleaned his plate for him. Mark tried to do it himself, but Jaebum wouldn’t let him. Mark ended up back-hugging Jaebum as Jaebum washed off all the dishes, leaving them in the sink until the last load of dishes was done.

 

Jaebum freed himself from Mark’s grasp to put away the syrup and whipped cream.

 

“Hyung,” Mark whined. “They’ll be back soon. You promised just me and you… please?”

 

Jaebum nodded. “Sorry, Mark, just wanted to clean a few things up.” He closed the fridge firmly. “Okay, I’m all yours.” He opened his arms to Mark, and Mark snuggled comfortably into Jaebum’s arms. He looked up, eyes begging for a kiss.

 

Jaebum realized how long it had been since he’d held either Jackson or Mark. He’d been so caught up with settling Bambam in that he’d all but forgotten how wonderful the other two were. He kissed Mark hard, holding the back of his neck. Mark pressed closer to him, kissing back hungrily.

 

“It’s been a week, Jaebum,” he said softly. “Is it bad that I miss you this much, even when you’re right here?”

 

“If you say anything that k-drama-like again, I will never speak to you,” Jaebum warned, only half teasing. “You could’ve come up to my room.” He peppered kisses all over Mark’s face. “I would’ve been more than okay with it.”

 

“Yeah, but Bambam,” Mark murmured. "I’m… I’m too loud.”

 

“Well, we could just cuddle, which is better than nothing. Next time, okay?” Jaebum said. Mark nodded, kissing along Jaebum’s collarbone. Jaebum tilted his head back, leaning into the wall behind him. Mark tugged on his shirt, not upwards, but pulling him into the hallway.

 

“I’m going to pass out when we’re done, I can tell,” he murmured. “Might as well be in my bed when it happens.”

 

Jaebum laughed. “And if I don’t wear you out that bad?”

 

“You’re not doing your job.”

 

Jaebum laughed even harder, following Mark into his darkened room. Mark shut the door and tugged Jaebum to the bed, pulling him down on top of him. He wrapped his thin legs around the back of Jaebum’s thighs, and Jaebum braced his hands on either side of Mark’s head. Mark propped himself up to kiss Jaebum, mumbling that he needed him.

 

It lit up Jaebum’s heart, to hear that—feeling needed is always a nice thing, no matter what mood you’re in. Jaebum ached to tell him this, tell him he needed him too, that  _just because I’m technically in a position of power does not mean you have no power over me_. But those words got choked somewhere, and all he could do was kiss him back.

 

Jaebum carefully inched down Mark’s pants, pressing kisses to his thighs. Mark stretched back and found the lube, handing the cold bottle over to Jaebum. Jaebum lubed up his first finger, and, using his other hand to spread Mark’s ass wide, worked his finger into Mark’s hole. Mark let out a breathy moan, clenching around Jaebum’s finger at first, and then relaxing and letting Jaebum begin to open him up. Jaebum went slow, noticing that Mark really was tired. He kissed Mark reassuringly every few seconds, petting his free hand through Mark’s tangled hair, carefully adding a second finger, trying to keep control of his breathing as he watched Mark fall apart.

 

“Jaebum,” Mark said breathily. “More, please.”

 

Jaebum obliged, adding a third finger, brushing against Mark’s prostrate with each shallow thrust. Mark groaned out with each movement, sending shivers all over Jaebum’s body. “Are you good?” he asked, squirming out of his own pants. Mark nodded. Jaebum quickly got more lube, and spread it over his already half-hard dick. He lined up with Mark’s hole, and slowly pushed in. Mark’s jaw dropped, and he arched off the bed slightly, clenching. Jaebum was surprised to see a tear leak out his eye. He quickly leaned up and brushed it away. “Are you okay, baby?” Jaebum said. “Say stop, and I will.”

 

“No, I’m—I’m okay.” Mark looked up at him and smiled. “It doesn’t hurt that much, really. I just—I missed you.”

 

Jaebum felt like all the breath had been knocked out of his body. “Fuck, Mark,” he murmured, leaning down for a kiss. “I missed you, too.”

 

“Move,” Mark mumbled against Jaebum’s lips. “I hate waiting, please.”

 

Jaebum pulled almost all the way out, and then rammed back into Mark’s body, catching the older boy by surprise. Mark gasped, head almost hitting the headboard of the bed. The pads of Jaebum’s fingers scrabbled across Mark’s scalp to get a light hold on his hair and to protect him from hitting his head against anything. He tugged, and Mark moaned loudly, reaching down to fist his own cock. Jaebum thrusted into him harshly, skin slapping against skin, Mark clinging to him for his life. 

 

“Fu-u-ck, Jaebum,” he gasped out. 

 

“You asked me to wear you out, right?” Jaebum replied through gritted teeth. “Does this count, baby?”

 

“Y-yes!” Mark said. “Fuck, Jaebum—” He arched further, exposing his neck, flattening his cat ears against his head so that he wouldn’t hurt them. One brushed the back of Jaebum’s hand. Jaebum leaned down and latched onto Mark’s neck, below where a collared button-up would cover, and sucked a hickey there. It was right in the hollow the Mark’s throat. When Jaebum’ pulled back, breathless, he realized it looked like the tag of a collar.  _Yikes. Bad going, Jaebum_.

 

“Does it look good?” Mark asked shyly.

 

“It looks a little like a collar,” Jaebum murmured guiltily. “I didn’t mean to—I’m sorry, Mark.”

 

“It’s okay,” Mark said. “No one’s going to see. Besides, I wouldn’t even mind a collar if it was from you. I know you would never hurt me. But just to let you know—you don’t need to worry. Collar or no collar, legal contract or no legal contract, I’m yours.”

 

Jaebum dropped his head, curling his torso tightly. “Mine,” he whispered.

 

“And Jackson’s and Bambam’s, but yours all the same,” Mark said lowly, and Jaebum knew he knew what he was doing—saying wonderful things to him because he knew that this wasn’t just for sex, for either of them. Mark and Jaebum both knew they meant a lot of each other. Again, all Jaebum wanted then was to make Mark happy. He snapped his hips faster, covering Mark’s mouth with a kiss. Tendrils of heat curled in his stomach, and he could feel his blood pulsing through every inch of his body. 

 

His grip on Mark’s hip and hair was slipping. Mark was meeting his thrusts weakly, frantically jerking himself off, crying out and moaning, then biting his lips to try to keep the noises in. Jaebum felt Mark clenching around him, and he closed his eyes, shaking, and let go. Mark was already coming between their bodies. They held each other, breathing hard, and fell back to earth.

 

“I’m going to sleep,” Mark said softly. Jaebum scoffed and rolled off the bed, hitting the floor lightly and padding into the bathroom to grab a towel. He wetted it under the sink and came back in to the bedroom. He gently swiped the come off of Mark’s body, and then carefully helped him back into his pants. He pulled the blanket around the boy’s shoulders.

 

“All right,” he said softly, bending down to give him one last kiss. “Sleep tight. I’ll wake you for lunch.”

 

Mark nodded, mumbling something incoherent. Jaebum smiled, and turned and walked out into the hallway, closing the door behind him. He finished cleaning up the kitchen. He left a note for the other three on where to find him, and then headed to his study to do homework. He found his sound-blocking headphones, and began to work. He didn’t hear Jackson and Bambam come in the door. It was probably best that he didn’t.

* * *

 

_Jackson’s POV_

“I’m tired, hyung,” Bambam called about ten minutes into their run.

 

“Then go back,” Jackson said. “I have to go for another ten minutes, at least.”

 

“There are better ways to get exercise than this,” Bambam complained.

 

“Why’d you even come out with me, then?” Jackson asked, turning around to face Bambam and jogging backwards.

 

“Because it sounded like a good idea at the time,” the skinny boy said grumpily, “but not anymore.”

 

“Okay, say I stopped now, walked back with you—what other kind of exercise am I supposed to get?”

 

A grin spread across Bambam’s face. “Oh, come on. You know.”

 

Jackson stared at him, slowing his jog to a stop, and fought the urge to laugh. “That doesn’t count.”

 

“Then how come it feels like you’ve just done a triathlon when you’re done?”

 

Jackson didn’t have an answer for that. And Bambam  _was_ kind of right— sex does get your heart rate up. “But Mark and Jaebum,” he protested, rather weakly.

 

“Who cares? If they join, they join, if not—well, they’ll tease us, but it’s not like they’re  _less_ guilty.” Bambam moved closer to Jackson. He kissed his cheek innocently, even though there was heat in his voice. “Please, hyung?”

 

“It’s not like I’m going to say no,” Jackson grumbled, kissing Bambam swiftly. “C’mon, then, let’s head back.” Bambam latched himself onto Jackson’s left arm, stretching up to kiss Jackson’s cheek and neck every few minutes. Jackson covered Bambam’s hands with his, leaning his head lightly on top of Bambam’s. “Anything I need to know about you?” he checked, knowing Bambam hadn’t had the best experience in life so far. “Any triggers, anything you absolutely do not want, anything you really, really want?”

 

“I like it when people tell me what to do, otherwise I get nervous. I also prefer if you tell me what you’re doing beforehand,” Bambam said. “Otherwise I get really nervous. I can’t do bondage, at all.” There was a tiny tremor in his voice. “A little bit of pain is good, as long as it comes with a lot of praise.”

 

“Don’t be afraid to let me know if anything hurts, if we need to stop anything at all, okay? I won’t hurt you,” Jackson said. “I’m not really comfortable… hurting people.”

 

“Okay,” Bambam said contentedly, but Jackson noticed that his voice still shook. “I don’t mind.”

 

They had reached the front door. Jaebum left it unlocked for them, since their keys were still being made. Bambam kissed him fiercely as soon as they were inside. Jackson scooped him up into his arms, clumsily locking the door behind them. He held Bambam bridal style, Bam’s arms draped over Jackson’s shoulders, behind his neck. He stumbled down the hall to Bambam’s room, trying to get them as far away from the rest of the house as possible.

 

He closed the door and gently set Bambam down on his feet. Bambam still clung to him, kissing him deeper. Jackson realized slowly that Bambam needed validation. He highly doubted anyone had slept with Bambam because they loved him. They only did it because he was small, easy to gag and bind and use, easy to toss out onto the street the next day with nothing but a couple of extra bruises to tell the tale. 

 

Jackson’s hands found Bambam’s face, and he felt tears teetering at the corners of Bambam’s eyes. He broke the kiss, forcing Bambam to look at him. “Bambam…” he said softly. “You’re safe here.” Bambam nodded. “No one will hurt you. We all care about you. No one is going to use you. Are you afraid?”

 

“Afraid that I’m going to wake up,” Bambam murmured. “It’s too good—I’m too lucky.”

 

“If you were lucky, you wouldn’t have even needed us,” Jackson said. “No, the world hasn’t been kind to you. It’s about time things changed. You are not lucky, only strong.”

 

Bambam’s eyes overflowed, and he pressed his face into Jackson’s sweaty tank top. Jackson stroked his hair gently. He took his hand and laced his fingers through Bambam’s. He moved his other hand to Bambam’s back, pressing it flat and hugging Bambam closer to him. “We can stop,” he said softly. “We can stop now, if you don’t want to anymore.”

 

“No,” Bambam said, straightening, tears drying. “No, I want to. I want you.”

 

“I want you, too,” Jackson said, leaning down to kiss him. Bambam whined quietly, and sank to his knees. To Jackson’s surprise, Bambam tugged down Jackson’s shorts and underwear, and then looked up at Jackson, fingers ghosting over Jackson’s dick.

 

“May I?” he asked lowly.

 

“Yeah,” Jackson said. Bambam dropped his jaw and slid his mouth down on Jackson’s cock, taking almost all of it, and hollowing his cheeks when he couldn’t go any deeper. He began to move back and forth around Jackson’s dick. “Fuck,” Jackson muttered, fighting to keep his hips still. “ _Bam_ —” 

 

Bambam pulled off his cock, breathing heavily. He traced patterns into Jackson’s thighs. “You’re really handsome, Jackson-hyung,” he said innocently. Jackson gave a soft growl. He pulled Bambam to his feet and crushed his lips against Bambam, backing him towards the bed. 

 

“Mark put lube in here this morning,” Jackson mumbled, going to the bedside table. 

 

Bambam laughed. “No way!”

 

“Way,” Jackson said, brandishing the bottle in triumph. “Don’t laugh.” He opened the bottle and squeezed a small dollop of lube onto one of his fingers. “It’s gonna hurt otherwise.”

 

Bambam had grown still. “Jackson-hyung, could I… could I do it myself? I’m just… still scared.” His voice was soft and scared.

 

“Of course,” Jackson said easily, handing the bottle over to Bambam, wiping the lube on his finger on a tissue. He kicked off his shorts, which had crumpled in a heap at his feet. He sat down on the plush bed next to Bambam’s feet, gently helping Bambam pull his sweatpants off. He squirmed up next to Bambam as the smaller boy slicked up his first finger. He nuzzled against Bambam’s neck, rubbing the boy’s skinny shoulder with his hand. Bambam turned his head to capture Jackson’s lip as he pushed his first finger in. Jackson watched as Bambam fucked himself with his fingers, using a second, and then a third, and finally a forth. He squirmed and moaned hotly in Jackson’s arms.

 

“I’m ready,” he panted against Jackson’s collarbone. Jackson pushed himself up and found the bottle of lube half-hidden under the blankets. Bambam turned himself over on his stomach and spread his legs, looking over his shoulder at Jackson. He reached behind himself and pushed two fingers back into his hole. Jackson messily lubed his cock, watching in fascination as Bambam’s face crumpled slightly, hand working to find his prostate. 

 

Jackson pulled Bambam’s hand away and bent over him, pressing kisses to his back. “I’m going to go now, is that okay?” he confirmed quietly.

 

“Yes,  _please_ ,” Bambam replied.

 

Jackson groaned and slowly pushed into Bambam, squeezing his eyes shut. Bambam was so small, he was a little afraid of seriously hurting him. But he took his cock like it was nothing. Bambam didn’t even seem like he was in pain, just writhed and moaned, already begging for him to move. Jackson could hardly say no. He began to pick up the pace, still going slow for fear of snapping Bambam in half, occasionally leaning down to kiss Bambam’s back, stretching to reach his lips. They were quiet—something about Bambam put Jackson at a sort of ease. Maybe he was afraid of scaring him, but the only sounds were soft “ _mmm”_ noises and harsh breathing.  Bambam snuck a hand under his body, rising his ass off the bed to get a grip on his own dick. Jackson grabbed Bambam’s hips and pulled them up so that he was kneeling, and Bambam was bent in half, face nearly smothered in the sheets. Bambam let out a soft cry, shifting and then stroking himself faster. 

 

“I’m close,” Jackson hissed out as a warning.

 

“Come,” Bambam replied, and that’s all Jackson needed. He gasped out Bambam’s name, released his come deep in Bambam’s ass. Bambam cried out, though it was mostly muffled by the mattress, come shooting from his dick and getting all over the sheets and his hand. 

 

Jackson steadied his breathing, pulling out of Bambam and pushing back his sweaty hair. “Okay, you’re right,” he admitted. “That counts as exercise.”

 

Bambam laughed weakly. “I told you so,” he said.

 

“You’re really amazing,” Jackson said, nudging Bambam’s shoulder with his forehead. “Okay, we need to get something to clean up.”

 

“I’ll just shower and change my sheets," Bambam said, rolling over. “But… before you go… I have a question.”

 

“Shoot,” Jackson said openly as he sat up.

 

“I really do trust Jaebum-hyung,” Bambam began. “But I don’t know how to… to show him. I can’t just say so, that’s weird and insincere.”

 

“Okay,” Jackson said. “Tonight, go up to his room and knock on his door. By tonight, I mean, like,  2 in the morning. If his door is ajar, as it probably will be, just go to his bed and crawl in next to him. He’ll probably wake up and ask you what the hell you’re doing. Tell him you felt lonely and a little bit afraid, and that you wanted company. If he asks why you didn’t just go to one of us, tell him you just wanted him.” 

 

Bambam blinked.

 

“And.” Jackson said, sure of himself. “He’ll feel really glad. He really does want you to trust him. He’s a really nice guy. He wants your acceptance probably more than you want his.”

 

“Thanks, Jackson,” Bambam said softly. “You’re really smart.”

 

“Most people would beg to differ,” Jackson said, trying to to sound bitter. “Because I’m loud and obnoxious.”

 

“You’re not obnoxious.” Bambam argued. “Just excited.” Jackson smiled gratefully, pulling on his shorts and straightening his shirt.

 

“Thanks, Bam,” he said. “Okay, I’ll leave you to clean up and shower. Lunch should be soon, though, so don’t take too long.”

 

“Got it!” Bambam said. Jackson grinned and headed out other room. Now he could only hope that things would go well between Bambam and Jaebum.

 

* * *

 

_Jaebum’s POV_

Sometime during his study session, Bambam and Jackson had returned home from their run. He heard water running, and assumed both of them were showering off sweat. It was also almost eleven o’clock, which meant lunch needed making.

 

Jaebum drowsily headed to the kitchen. While he had been nowhere near Mark’s level of tired, he couldn’t deny that he was a bit depleted. The thing was, they were also out of proper groceries. So, he could either order something, or they were going to end up eating bread and water.

 

“Takeout it is,” Jaebum muttered, pulling out his phone and searching for a good Korean beef shop that delivered. He found one not too far away and placed his order, aware that everyone would probably be ravenous since they all had some form of exercise, be it running or fucking. 

 

Jackson appeared in the doorway, toweling off his hair. “Did I hear you ordering lunch?”

 

“Yeah. I’m going to need to go get some groceries soon, too,” Jaebum said. “We’re kind of out of food.”

 

“Sorry,” Jackson said, taking a seat at the table. ‘It’s what you get for having four active guys in one house.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Jaebum rubbed the back of his neck. “But takeout should do for now. Is Bambam in the shower?”

 

“Last I knew,” Jackson said.

 

“How was the run?” Jaebum asked.

 

“Bambam’s a wimp,” Jackson replied. “Quiet here without us?”

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum said. “You guys really wore poor Mark out last night. He’s napping now.”

 

“Oops,” Jackson said, not looking terribly guilty. “Guess that old man can’t keep up.”

 

“Yah, he’s a year older than you. Besides, you should be respectful,” Jaebum chided teasingly. “Oh, reminds me. I should probably go wake him up.”

 

Jaebum stood and went over to Mark’s room, knocking and then pushing the door open. “Mark-ah,” he said softly. “Lunch is soon. Time to get up.”

 

“Thanks, hyung,” Mark said with a yawn. “Are Bambam and Jackson back? I don’t hear them.”

 

“Yeah, Bambam’s in the shower, that’s why,” Jaebum said, laughing. 

 

“What’s lunch?” Mark asked as he pulled on a thicker shirt.

 

“Korean beef,” Jaebum said. “We’re out of food in the fridge.”

 

Mark shrugged. “I mean, I’m not gonna say no to takeout.” They meandered back into the kitchen, catching Bambam on the way out of his room. 

 

“Hi!” he said brightly. “Lunch?”

 

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” Jaebum said. “I’ll probably have to study more after, so you guys entertain yourselves and think about what you’re gonna want for dinner.”

 

“Ooh, we should get Thai food,” Bambam said. “I know a good Thai place, and they deliver, so we don’t have to go sit down or anything.”

 

“I’m in for Thai for dinner,” Jackson said from the table.

 

“I can’t think about the next meal,” Mark said, rolling his eyes. “We haven’t even eaten this one yet!”

 

So it was settled. Their lunch came shortly after, and they had a lively meal, all talking and laughing and stealing food from each others’ plates. Jaebum left them to clean up and went to work on his homework. Around six, Jackson came bounding up the stairs and into his study. “We called for Thai and they should be on the way. Just wanted to let you know. Do you even realize what time it is?”

 

“No, I don’t,” Jaebum laughed, setting his things aside. “Thanks, Jackson.” They walked back down to the kitchen together, where Mark and Bambam were playing the hand game where one person tried to slap the other’s hands while the other is trying to move their hands away fast enough. Mark had just succeeded in hitting Bambam, and was, to Jaebum’s surprise, shouting.

 

“Wow, did someone feed Mark an energy drink or something?”

 

“He’s hungry,” Jackson explained.

 

The doorbell rang, and Jaebum went to retrieve their food. Bambam was ecstatic over the food, though Jackson kept on complaining it was way too spicy. Mark insisted they sit down and watch a movie after dinner, and by the end they were all sleepy and ready for bed. Jaebum turned off the TV, kissed each of the boys goodnight, and headed up to his room. He showered quickly and fell into bed and was soon fast asleep.

 

Something made the side of his bed dip, forcing him awake. It turned out to be Bambam, crawling in next to him at 2:30 in the morning.

 

“Eh? Bambam? What’s going on?”

 

“I was lonely, and couldn’t sleep,” the younger boy murmured, snuggling closer to Jaebum. “So I came up to cuddle with you.”

 

“Why not with Jackson?” Jaebum asked, still confused as he drew the boy nearer.

 

Bambam shook his head. “I wanted you.”

 

Jaebum smiled and kissed Bambam’s hair. “Okay, I’ll take that. You comfortable?”

 

“Yep,” Bambam breathed out happily. 

 

“Okay.” Jaebum rubbed his back his his thumbs. “Let’s sleep, then.”

 

“Goodnight, Jaebum-hyung,” Bambam murmured, words slurred by sleep.

 

“Goodnight, kitten,” Jaebum whispered back, unable to keep the wide smile off of is face. He closed his eyes. Everything was falling into place. Bambam wanted  _him,_ too, not just Jackson and Mark. They were all getting along. It was 2:30 am and he had school the next morning, but not even that could stop him from feeling like he was on the top of the world.


	9. Chapter 9

Jaebum woke to his alarm. He moved to turn it off, but someone was wrapped around him. He looked down and realized Bambam had snaked his arms and legs around Jaebum’s body during the night. Jaebum carefully pried him off, pushing the blankets off of both of them. “Time to get up, Bambam,” he said softly.

 

“Time for you to get up,” Bambam argued sleepily. “I don’t have to.”

 

“You do if you want breakfast,” Jaebum argued. “C’mon, Bam.” He reached his arms out to the smaller boy. “Up.”

 

Bambam just groaned in complaint and rolled over. Jaebum sighed, and grabbed Bambam gently under the armpits, picking him up easily and carrying him like a mother might carry a toddler, Bambam’s butt resting against one of Jaebum’s hips. Jaebum used one hand to hold Bambam’s bottom up, careful not to tug on his tail, and the other the steady his back, while Bambam leaned his head on Jaebum’s shoulder, linking his ankles on the other side of Jaebum’s waist.

 

“Jeez, you’re heavier than you look,” Jaebum complained, moving slowly to the door. Bambam made a sweet cooing noise next to his ear, and Jaebum melted. “Okay, fine, but this is a one-time thing, all right?”

 

“How come you don’t carry me like that?” Mark pouted when Jaebum walked into the kitchen.

 

“You’re too big,” Jaebum said. “Bambam’s just small enough. Besides, I usually don’t have trouble getting you up in the morning.” Jaebum carefully lowered Bambam into his chair. “Oof.” He stretched. “I feel like a single dad of three.”

 

Mark looked at him with a mischievous look in his eye, and then burst out laughing, and mouthed the word “ _daddy"_.

 

Jaebum raised his eyebrows at him, horrified. “Don’t—!” 

 

“I’m not, I would never,” Mark choked out through loud laughter. 

 

“What did I miss?” Jackson asked, entering the kitchen half-dressed.

 

“Jaebum is a single dad of three,” Mark said as seriously as he could manage. “You should be wearing socks, Jackson, it’s cold.”

 

“Who was it that got sick again?” Jackson mimed thinking really hard. “Oh yeah, you.”

 

“Boys,” Jaebum warned, opening a cupboard and fishing around for his favorite cereal.

 

“No, you’re right. I’m seeing the single dad thing,” Jackson said, taking his seat. “Hey, Bambam, this is the table, not your bed.” He shook the dozing boy’s shoulder.

 

“I’m tired,” Bambam complained, sitting up. “I couldn’t sleep last night.”

 

“Yeah, and he woke me up at 2 am,” Jaebum said, feigning annoyance. Bambam shot him a worried look. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. It was fine.” He kissed Bambam’s head before taking a seat. “If I hated it that much, I wouldn’t have carried you downstairs.”

 

“Lucky you’re small,” Jackson said enviously, grabbing at the milk.

 

Bambam just rubbed his eyes and watched as Mark dumped some cereal into his bowl. “Thanks, hyung,” he said softly.

 

“Maybe we need some coffee?” Jaebum suggested.

 

“No, coffee’s bad for you!” Jackson exclaimed. “I bought some organic green tea, it’s really good, and it has caffeine for waking up!”

 

“Jackson’s very much about the organic food,” Mark commented wearily. “Sure, let’s do that. I just need caffeine in general.”

 

“You always seem in need of caffeine,” Jackson shot back, getting up to fetch the tea and some hot water. “You’re too quiet.”

 

“Jackson, please,” Jaebum said tiredly. “One could say you’re too loud. It’s all a matter of perspective. In the meantime, we need to be out the door in twenty minutes if Mark wants to be in class on time.”

 

“Can I stay here with Bambam until it’s time for my class?” Jackson asked.

 

“Fine, but make sure you don’t get into trouble on the way. Bambam, lock the door behind him,” Jaebum said, rising. “I want to talk to my professor, so I’m walking with Mark.” Jaebum stretched as he left the kitchen, going back upstairs to his room to change into school clothes.

 

Mark was somehow ready before him, and waiting by the door when Jaebum reached the bottom of the stairs. “Okay, we’re going!” he called to the other two. Jackson popped his head out of his room. “Make sure you get to class,” Jaebum reminded him again. “Call me if you run into trouble. Bambam!”

 

Bambam skittered into the hallway from the kitchen. “Yes?”

 

“Lock the door behind Jackson, you hear? I don’t need someone wandering in here and hurting you, okay?”

 

“I got it, hyung.” He trotted up and went on tiptoe to give both Jaebum and Mark a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you guys tonight.”

 

“See you,” Mark said, squeezing one of Bambam’s hands and returning the kiss.

 

The oldest boys bundled up and headed out into the cold. “D’you think it’ll snow?” Jaebum asked Mark conversationally.

 

“Maybe.” Mark looked up at the sky. “It’s pretty cloudy, and cold. Did you check the weather?”

 

“It said there’s a slight chance, so I’m hoping.” Jaebum grinned. “Snow is fun."

 

“It is almost December.” Mark blew out a puff of air, watching it condense in front of his nose. “Who knows?” He shot a smile back at Jaebum. “Did you really want to meet with your professor, or did you just want to walk with me?”

 

“The latter,” Jaebum said, laughing. “No way am I going to be stuck in a house with just those two if I can help it.”

 

“And yet you did that to me,” Mark pouted, joking.

 

“Hey, I made up for it,” Jaebum argued back.

 

“I know.” Mark bumped into him lightly, tail flicking back and forth in amusement. “How  _was_ that meeting with your dad?”

 

“Boring, but useful,” Jaebum admitted. “I mean, I will be taking over the company when he retires, and my full-time training starts as soon as I graduate from college, so… the sooner I start, the better off I’ll be.”

 

Mark nodded. “Hey… hyung?” He fidgeted. “I don’t suppose you might take in another hybrid. His parents died in a plane crash, going on a family vacation to which he was not invited when he was 18. So technically he owns himself, so your parents won’t have to pay anything for him. He gets treated kind of badly at school—well, really badly.”

 

“He gets beat up?” Jaebum asked, anger flaring.

 

“Worse,” Mark said. “Instead of beating him up, they… use him. Because he’s quiet and cute. And they force him to help them with their homework and stuff, since he’s smart… He has zero self esteem. I’ve tried talking to him, but he won’t believe me that non-hybrids could ever treat hybrids as equals, even when I told him about you. I didn’t say your name, but…”

 

“I’m mad,” Jaebum said. “I can’t believe kids are doing that—no, you know what? I can. But that’s beside the point. Yeah, I’ll take him in.” He shook his head. “What’s his name?”

 

“Jinyoung,” Mark said. “Park Jinyoung.”

 

“No way.” Jaebum turned to Mark, eyes wide. “He goes here?” Mark nodded in confirmation, confused. “I knew him when we were younger! Dammit, I knew something was going on, but he would never tell me what! I haven’t seen him in a couple years. Do you know where he might be?”

 

They were nearing the front gates. “Yeah, he spends a lot of time in the art studio, painting. Some kids might have dragged him off to one of the darkrooms in the photo studio though.”

 

Jaebum shook his head again. “Okay, thanks, Mark. You better get to class, it starts soon.”

 

“Good luck, hyung!” Mark called, heading towards the left. Jaebum went to the right, towards the arts buildings. He wasn’t much of an arts student himself, though he did sometimes come down to do some work in the recording studios for fun. So he knew his way around, mostly. He found the Drawing and Painting building, and went inside, hoping Jinyoung was inside and not… in a darkroom somewhere.

 

He was in luck. Jinyoung was at an easel in the far corner of one of the smaller studios. Jaebum knocked on the door and then pushed it open. Jinyoung tugged out his earbuds quickly, looking resigned and afraid.

 

“Hey,” Jaebum said gently. “Do you remember me?”

 

“J-Jaebum?” Jinyoung asked, half standing.

 

“Yeah.” Jaebum approached him slowly. “Mark was telling me about you. I had no idea we went to the same university!”

 

“Tuan Mark?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum repeated. “I’ve been keeping an eye out for hybrids that are having a rough time. Mark is one of them.” Jaebum extracted a bracelet from his pocket. “Can I claim you?”

 

“It’s usually not a choice for the hybrid,” Jinyoung said.

 

“Well, I’m making it one, because I don’t want to force you to come with me,” Jaebum said. “I just… I know what some of those people do to you. And if I claim you, I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

 

“And what will I be giving you in return? I don’t have any money,” Jinyoung said, suspicious.

 

“Companionship,” Jaebum said with a shrug. “Hopefully you can help keep Bambam busy? I dunno. You’re an old friend. Maybe it’s guilt. But I remember that you were very kind.”

 

“You always wanted to find out what was wrong,” Jinyoung said, and Jaebum saw his outermost defenses fall.

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said. “I wanted to know why my friend was sad. I never got a real answer, so I hugged you a lot instead.”

 

“They thought it was hilarious,” Jinyoung said abruptly. “Because I’m a horse hybrid. They always asked if I had found a mare.”

 

“Well, they’re shit,” Jaebum said.

 

The corner of Jinyoung’s mouth tugged up just a little. “It was kind of funny to me, because I always wanted to spit back, ‘how do you know it’s not stallions I’m after?’ Of course, I never did.”

 

Jaebum laughed. “I always thought you weren’t 100% straight.”

 

“Straight as a bendy ruler,” Jinyoung replied, actually smiling. “Nah, I’m bi. Obviously, I never told anyone, really—I had enough going on as it was.”

 

“Understandable.” Jaebum shifted from foot to foot, unsure if he should restate his offer.

 

“Give me the bracelet,” Jinyoung said, reaching out his hand. “You’re the same Jaebum I remember. I want to trust you, so I’m going to. Besides, that Mark guy’s not half bad. Even if I end up hating you, at least I’ll have him. And—who did you say? Bambam.”

 

“I certainly hope you won’t hate me,” Jaebum said, handing over the bracelet and watching Jinyoung fasten it over a delicate wrist. 

 

“I doubt I will.”

 

Jaebum reached his arms out uncertainly. “Can I have a hug? For old times’ sake?”

 

“This better not be our last hug,” Jinyoung said, smile brightening until it lit up the whole room. Jaebum laughed, holding Jinyoung tight.

 

“It won’t be, then,” he promised. “Okay, I gotta get to class. You take care of yourself, and let me know if you need anything. You in a dorm now?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You can move into my place any time,” Jaebum said. “I have a room ready for you and everything, so…”

 

“Tonight would be preferable,” Jinyoung said. “It that’s okay.”

 

“That’s just fine.” Jaebum smiled at him. “Send me a text or something if you want me to beat someone up for you. I remember you weren’t one for fights.”

 

“Thanks,” Jinyoung said, gratitude flickering in his eyes. “See you this afternoon, Jaebum.”

 

“See you.” Jaebum retreated out of the studio and checked his watch. If he sped-walked, he could get to class just on time.

 

* * *

 

“Another one?” Jackson asked excitedly. Jaebum had caught him after class, hoping to catch him up a little before he released him on Jinyoung. “Is he nice? Is he cute? Do you think he’ll join our little… what is it? Family? Sure. Do you think he will?”

 

“So many questions,” Jaebum said wearily, laughing. “Ah, he’s very nice. He’s also very cute. Do I think he’ll join? Ah, maybe. Depends on…  _how annoying you are_.”

 

“Good try, hyung,” Jackson said with a laugh. “I’m not annoying. I’m funny.”

 

“Can we compromise and say you’re both?” Jaebum scanned the crowd at the front gate and saw Jinyoung, carrying a largish backpack. He noticed another boy approaching him, and Jinyoung trying to flash the bracelet. “Ah, look at that. Trouble. Lucky we’re right here.” He raised his voice, “Hey!”

 

“Jaebum!” Jinyoung looked relieved. “Sorry, Tom, I’m telling the truth. Find someone else. Deal with it yourself.”

 

Tom, apparently, looked around at Jaebum and gave a slight jump. “Sorry, I thought he was kidding.”

 

“Well, he’s not. Are you ready?” he asked Jinyoung. He nodded at the bag, which looked full. “That all you need?”

 

“Yeah,” Jinyoung said. 

 

“Jinyoung, this is Jackson.” Jaebum gestured Jackson forward. “He’s another hybrid who’s been living with me.”

 

“Nice to meet you!” Jackson said brightly. “I’m a wolf hybrid, what are you?”

 

“A horse,” Jinyoung said. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

 

“Okay, now all we need is Mark—there!” Jaebum pointed and then waved. Mark grinned and jogged over.

 

“I’m glad Jaebum found you,” Mark said to Jinyoung. “Shall we?”

 

“We shall!” Jackson shouted, making an exaggerated step in the general direction of Jaebum’s house.

 

“How was today?” Mark asked Jinyoung.

 

“Fun, because I got to ward everyone off with this.” He waved the bracelet. “Kind of freeing, really. It’s like a garlic clove to vampires.”

 

“Jaebum, if you need more proof that we really do like these bracelets—” Mark began.

 

“Thank you, I understand by now, Mark,” Jaebum said, trying to sound stern. 

 

“You didn’t used to be this grumpy, Jaebummie,” Jinyoung said, walking close behind Jaebum and putting his chin on the older boy’s shoulder.

 

“Yah, don’t call me that,” Jaebum said, embarrassed. “And besides, that was before I had Jackson and Bambam wearing me out.”

 

“You sound like an exasperated parent.”

 

“He did call himself a single dad of three this morning.”

 

“Well, you’re in luck, because I’m responsible,” Jinyoung said. “I’ll be the mom, so you don’t have to single parent.”

 

“I know you’re responsible, Jirongie,” Jaebum said, fighting the urge to give him a quick kiss. “We’re really delighted that you’re joining us.”

 

“I’m delighted to be joining,” Jinyoung said. “Omo, is that you!” He pointed at Jaebum’s house. Jackson was hopping around on the porch. Bambam yanked the door open.

 

“Jaebum-hyung, who is that?” Bambam asked.

 

“This is Jinyoung, and he’s one of us now,” Jaebum replied. “That’s Bambam,” he added to Jinyoung. “And he’s technically a minor, which is why I was talking about looking after him.”

 

“He looks so small,” Jinyoung said.

 

“Don’t mention it to him, he gets mad,” Mark advised. “Come say hi, Bam!”

 

Bambam flew down the steps as Jackson entered the house, kicking off his shoes. Jaebum looked on with a happy grin. Maybe four hybrids was a little too many. But then again, wasn’t there a saying about the more the merrier?

 

He bit his lip. Now the only problem was talking to Jinyoung about his relationship with the other three. It would be difficult, especially considering what had happened to Jinyoung these past couple years at school. He could only hope the world hadn’t hardened Jinyoung too much.

 

* * *

 

Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, Jinyoung settled in very well. Jaebum saw him fussing over Mark’s unbrushed hair, over the fact that Jackson wore tank tops to school, even though it was near freezing. (“But I’m wearing a coat!” “I saw you, not all the time!”)

 

Jinyoung insisted on cooking for them that night, whipping his tail in Jaebum’s direction when he tried to help. “The least I can do is cook for you guys,” he said, pushing Jaebum towards the table.

 

Jackson and Bambam fired questions at Jinyoung as he bustled around the kitchen clanging pots and making delicious-smelling dishes. He answered all of them, patiently, and hope flared up in Jaebum’s chest. Like the other three, the world had not been kind to Jinyoung. And yet, just like the other three, he was still patient and good and kind. 

 

“So Mark’s a black leopard,” Jinyoung said as he placed steaming heaps of food before them. “And Jackson… a wolf, yes?” Jackson nodded. “And you, Bambam?” Jinyoung took his seat at the large table.

 

“A kitten.” He flicked his tail. “A ginger one.”

 

“And I’m a horse,” Jinyoung said for Bambam’s benefit. “Wow, Jaebum, quite the array.”

 

“I don’t choose by animal, I choose by circumstance,” Jaebum replied.

 

“That’s fair.”

 

“Ah, this food is really good!” Bambam exclaimed excitedly around his first mouthful.

 

“Thanks.” Jinyoung blushed.

 

“Better than mine,” Jaebum agreed.

 

“I mean, your mac and cheese is good, right?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“I guess—how did you—?”

 

“You made some for me, once,” Jinyoung reminded him. “When I was sick and out of canned soup, and my parents weren’t around.”

 

“I remember,” Jaebum said. “I almost set fire to your kitchen, though.”

 

“That’s… an exaggeration,” Jinyoung said, laughing.

 

“It was also burnt,” Jaebum addd musingly. “At least I don’t to  _that_ anymore.

 

“It wasn’t burnt,” Jinyoung argued.

 

“Liar, you just didn’t want me to feel bad.”

 

“No! It was good!”

 

“Someone make Mom and Dad stop fighting,” Jackson said passively. Bambam sniggered into his food. Mark flicked Jackson’s wrist, since he was unable to reach his forehead.

 

Jinyoung just laughed. “Sorry. It’s been a while.” He looked over at Jaebum and smiled. Jaebum noticed a small touch of sadness.  _Been a while since we talked, or been a while since you’ve been able to talk with people like this?_  


That night, Jaebum helped Jinyoung finish unpacking, while the other three studied or played games.

 

“They’re really nice,” Jinyoung said softly.

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum replied. “They’re really excited you’re here.” He met Jinyoung’s gaze. “I’m really excited you’re here.”

 

Jinyoung sat down on the edge of his bed. “I don’t know if they know this,” he began uncertainly. “But our senses are heightened—hybrids are just better at seeing and smelling and things. So my sense of smell is really good. Theirs should be better than mine, actually, but maybe they never trained. I… I did, because that way I could tell if someone wanted me to do their homework, or… something else.” Jinyoung looked up at Jaebum. “I always smelled like all those other kids, even if I showered.” He glanced at the door before continuing. “Today? Bambam smelled like Jackson. I guessing Jackson didn’t smell like Bambam for two reasons—one, he was out and about all day, around other people, so it got masked, and two, Bambam probably bottomed.”

 

“Why are you saying this?” Jaebum asked, surprised, impressed, and confused.

 

“You knew?”

 

“What, that they’re… having sex? Yeah,” Jaebum said. “I mean… It’s… It’s kind of complicated.”

 

“Explain, then.” Jinyoung wasn’t hostile, just curious.

 

“I was going to wait,” Jaebum said. “But, since you asked, um… we’re kind of in a polyamorous relationship with one another,” he said in a rush. “And I trust and love all three of them—we all trust each other. They’re not going to mind a bit if you joined in—they’d probably be delighted—but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I—we—would understand if you wanted nothing to do with it. Really.”

 

“Can I… think about it?” Jinyoung asked. He seemed genuine. “It’s just—I mean, it really does sound nice, but with what’s been going on.. how do I say this?” I know you guys are nice, it’s just that I’ve been—been used by so many people and I know none of them care about me at all, and so I get scared when it’s a lot of people—it just seems like the more people, the less value I have to each of them—I’m not saying you’re like them and I’m not saying you don’t care, because it’s obvious you do, it’s just—well, in one way it could count as more, I dunno, love, but in another, it’s just scary, and I—” Jinyoung took a breath. “I’m just not good about trust,” he mumbled as a summary.

 

“Hey.” Jaebum reached out to him, and Jinyoung smiled wryly, falling into Jaebum’s arms. “It’s okay. That’s totally fine. You don’t have to decide now. It’s scary for you, and that’s okay. But—” He looked down at Jinyoung. “I just want you to know that I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I didn’t choose you for the reasons all those terrible people at school have been wanted you for. I chose you so I could put a stop to that. I chose you because you’re my friend—I chose you because when we were younger I couldn’t protect you—maybe I could’ve. Maybe I didn’t do enough. I’m sorry all I used to be able to offer was hugs. But now, given this second chance, I hope I can protect you. That’s all.”

 

Jinyoung pulled away gently. “You don’t owe that to me.”

 

“Of course I do. No one deserves to be treated that way—like an animal. Certainly not you,” Jaebum said fiercely. “If I can help you, then of course I owe it to you.”

 

“Okay.” Jinyoung nodded, eyes cast on the floor.

 

“Okay. Are you good here?” Jaebum asked. “On unpacking?”

 

“Yes.” Jaebum nodded and moved to go. His hand was on the doorknob when Jinyoung burst out, “Jaebum—” Jaebum turned, surprised. “I— I always looked forward to your hugs.”

 

Jaebum forced himself to nod again, mind racing, as Jinyoung blushed and quickly dug through his bag to hide his face. He escaped the room, trying and failing not to blush too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys for the support ^o^ I can't believe how many people have left kudos and lovely comments. I'm glad everyone likes my writing O.o I never would have thought! I hope you like the chapter! Please let me know what you think. <3


	10. Chapter 10

_Mark’s POV_

Bambam wanted to go sleep with Jaebum again, so he had wandered up to his room and waited for Jaebum to come up from helped Jinyoung unpack. Meanwhile, Mark and Jackson sat in Mark’s room, on Mark’s bed. Mark was trying to read. Jackson was scrolling through his phone and jumping up and trying to show Mark things every thirty seconds or so.

 

“Can you quiet down?” Mark asked wearily. “Or go to your own room?”

 

“But I want to show you this video,” Jackson pouted.

 

“Yeah, well, I want to read,” Mark snapped. He had a headache, and the school day had not been an easy one. So maybe he was a little bit grumpy. But Jackson was also being kind of annoying. “Seriously, Jackson, take a hint."

 

Jackson had fallen silent. Perturbed, Mark chanced a look up, and saw a pained look on Jackson’s face. Immediately, guilt crashed over Mark. He shouldn’t have snapped at him.

 

“I’m sorry, hyung,” Jackson whispered, eyes wide. “I didn’t mean to—I’m sorry. I’l—I’ll go.”

 

“No,” Mark put down his book. “No, Jackson,  _I’m_ sorry.” He shook his head.  _Just because I'm having a bad day doesn’t mean I can ruin his. Yeah, he’s a little annoying, but what else is new?_ “Come here, I didn’t mean it, I’m just grumpy is all. Show me the video.”

 

“It’s not important,” Jackson mumbled, embarrassed.

 

“Okay, well, come here anyway, I want to give you a hug,” Mark wheedled, still feeling immensely guilty.

 

Jackson happily leaned across the bed. Mark tugged him closer to him, giving him a quick, reassuring kiss. “I’m not mad at you,” he murmured into Jackson’s hair.

 

“I never try to make you mad,” Jackson said. “I just get excited… but you’re never excited.”

 

“Yes, I am! I was so excited when I found out you were coming to live with us.” Mark forced Jackson to sit down next to him on the bed. “I’m just quieter. I’m not like you—when you hang out with people, you feel more energized, am I right?” Jackson nodded. “Well, it’s the opposite for me. Of course I love hanging out with you guys, and I love talking to you, but sometimes I need time to recharge. And when I need it and don’t get it, I get snappy and upset.” He rested his head against Jackson’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault, it’s just kind of how I am.”

 

“Okay.” Jackson laced his fingers with Mark’s. “So do you want me to leave now?” He looked down at Mark. “Does cuddling count as social interaction?”

 

“I might fall asleep on you,” Mark warned him, shifting. 

 

“Let me go get my pajamas, then,” Jackson said. “Lemme up.”

 

Mark smiled and lifted his head. He took the opportunity to change and brush his teeth and wash his face, getting himself ready for bed. He bookmarked his place in his book and put it on his bedside table.

 

“All ready,” Jackson announced, reappearing in Mark’s doorway.

 

“Great,” Mark said warmly. “Can you hit the lights?”

 

“Course.” Jackson found the switched and plunged the room into darkness. “Wait, I can’t see. Where are you?”

 

Mark laughed and turned on his phone, giving Jackson a beacon of light to follow. Unsteadily, Jackson lurched his way to Mark’s bed, falling in an ungraceful heap next to the older boy. Mark grabbed at him, throwing the blankets over him, too. Jackson sighed peacefully.

 

“You sure you’re not mad?” he confirmed.

 

“Absolutely not,” Mark said. “I’ll let you know, next time, instead of just lashing out.”

 

“That would be nice. And I’ll absolutely leave you alone when you tell me you need it, okay?” Jackson said.

 

“It’s a deal.”

 

“We need to shake on it.”

 

“I can’t find your hand—Yah, that’s weird, stop. How about a kiss to seal the deal instead?” Mark said. 

 

Jackson shifted so that he was facing Mark. “I still can’t see you.”

 

Mark turned on his phone again, and Jackson leaned closer, pressing his lips to Mark’s, cupping the back of Mark’s neck to hold him close. Mark switched off his phone and reached up to put it on the windowsill above his bed where it couldn’t get crushed. He wrapped his arms around Jackson’s shoulders. They broke the kiss and lay with their foreheads resting against each other’s. 

 

“Mark-hyung… you know the only reason I always try to show you all those random things is because I like begin around you, and sharing everything with you,” Jackson said.

 

“I know, Jackson.” Mark snuggled into Jackson’s broad, sturdy chest. “I know. Thank you.” He closed his eyes.  _I love you_ , he thought. 

 

_* * *_

_Jaebum’s POV_

Jinyoung was the same outwardly the next morning as he had been the night before. He was smiling and sweet as usual. But on their way to school, with Jackson and Mark ahead of them, Jackson yelling and Mark trying to shush him, Jinyoung’s face dropped.

 

“Are you okay?” Jaebum asked him softly.

 

“Just.. turning things over in my mind,” Jinyoung replied after some contemplation.

 

“Okay, well…” Jaebum trailed off, unsure.

 

“Can I have a hug?” Jinyoung asked softly.

 

“Of course.” Jaebum stopped walking and wrapped his arms tight around Jinyoung’s shoulders. Jinyoung leaned into the hug. They stood there for a couple seconds before realizing Mark and Jackson were very far ahead. 

 

“I’m really okay, hyung,” Jinyoung reassured him.

 

“I believe you,” Jaebum said. “But it is my job to worry.”

 

“No, no, it’s mine,” Jinyoung said. “You’re the dad, right—if I’m to be the mother, then  _I’m_ the one who’s supposed to worry to pieces.”

 

“Sure,” Jaebum said uncertainly. They were nearing the school. “Okay, if anyone tries anything… let me know. I won’t stand for it.”

 

“I don’t think anyone will try anything. I have your bracelet, they’ll know.” Jinyoung smiled. “Thank you. Have a really good day. I’ll meet you back here, right?”

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum said. “See you.”

 

They all went their separate ways. Jaebum spent the entire day in confusion, still thinking over everything Jinyoung had said, mind flipping from one phrase to the next.   _Bambam smelled like Jackson… it just seems like the more people, the less value I have to each of them… you don’t owe that to me…_ ** _I always looked forward to your hugs_. **  


What was  _that_ supposed to mean?

 

Was it a confession, or a sign of gratitude? Was that Jinyoung for  _thank you,_ or  _I like you_? 

 

  
_Boys are as complicated as girls, just in a different way,_ Jaebum thought.  _We all have hearts, they all break when we’re turned down. None of us want to get caught liking someone who doesn’t like us back. And Jinyoung is shy, so he wouldn’t just say it, not like Bambam or Jackson. I wonder, though, if perhaps Jinyoung is under the impression that his heart is worth less than others._  


These thoughts carried Jaebum to the end of the day, where he would be forced to face the subject of them at the front gates of the school. Except, Jinyoung wasn’t there.

 

Mark was worried. “Do you think some kids held him up?”

 

“Let’s wait another five minutes, maybe he just got let out late,” Jaebum said uneasily. “We don’t want to leave and then have him come here to find us gone. He’ll think we ditched him. But if he’s not here by then… we’ll go look.”

 

“If anyone has hurt him…” Jackson, too, was serious and concerned.

 

Five minutes passed, and the crowd the usually gathered in the front green right after school was beginning to thin. And still, no sign of Jinyoung.

 

“Okay,” Jaebum said, a little angry. “We’re going to look for him.”

 

“Let’s check behind the art studio, and then the darkrooms, if he isn’t in the studio itself,” Mark suggested. “But no splitting up. We don’t know how many people are going to be there.”

 

“Good idea,” Jaebum replied. They headed towards the arts buildings, and Mark led them into the art studio. Jinyoung wasn’t there. Jaebum felt his pulse quicken.  _He’s my responsibility._  


“Okay,” Mark said slowly, trying to keep calm. “Let’s go check around back, then, and if he’s not there, the photography studios are the building right behind this one, anyway.”

 

They crossed the building, weaving through hallways to find a back door. They found one and pushed it open, and saw three boys—Jinyoung, with a boy holding each of his arms tightly. Jinyoung was thrashing; they had gagged him so he could not scream. 

 

“Jinyoung!” Mark yelled. None of the boys had time to think. Jackson and Mark went straight for the other two students, Jackson giving one a solid punch in the throat, and Mark kicking the other in the back. They released Jinyoung immediately, and Jaebum was there to catch him. 

 

Jaebum undid the gag with trembling fingers, unsurprised but upset at the steady flow of tears down Jinyoung’s cheeks. “I’ve got you,” he said, sinking to his knees with Jinyoung’s head cradled to his shoulder. The younger boy clung to him—now that his voice was freed, he was sobbing loudly. “I’ve got you,” Jaebum repeated. “I’m so sorry, I’ll do better next time, I’ll make sure to keep you safe. This  _isn’t your fault_ , Jinyoung, it’s  _mine, okay_? Shh, it’s okay, you’re safe now, I won’t let them touch you, I’ll protect you, Jirongie, I  _promise_.”

 

Jinyoung grabbed fistfuls of Jaebum’s t-shirt and buried his face in the space in between.  _His breath is coming too fast,_ Jaebum realized.  _He’s hyperventilating._ Unsure, Jaebum lifted a hand and because running it through Jinyoung’s hair rhythmically. He bent his head so that his mouth was next to Jinyoung’s ear. “Jinyoung, try breathing in time with my hand on your head, okay? Breath in when I’m at your hairline, then exhale when I reach the back of your neck. Can you try to do that for me?”

 

“Y-yes,” Jinyoung said. He took a shuddering breath, and fought to time his inhales with Jaebum’s hand in his hair. 

 

“That’s it, in… and out… in…” Jaebum pressed the side of his head to the side of Jinyoung’s, totally unaware of what was going on with the other four boys. “Out… in… good. You’re doing great, Jinyoung, you’re doing really good.”

 

“I’m scared,” Jinyoung said. “What if it happens again?”

 

“I won’t let it.” Jaebum pulled back just a little bit. “Hey, hey, look at me. Look at me, okay? Everything will be all right. I’m here, I’m not going to leave, you’re under my protection, you’re  _my_ responsibility and I take that very seriously.” Jinyoung met his gaze. Jaebum carefully swiped the tears away.

 

“Hey, hyung?” A breathless Jackson appeared before him. “We just managed to hold them—”

 

“What happened to your shirt?” Jaebum asked. The bottom half was ripped off.

 

“We used a couple strips as handcuffs. I just wanted to know what we should do with them,” Jackson said calmly.

 

“What do you want us to do with them, Jinyoung?” Jaebum asked.

 

“Let them go,” Jinyoung said softly. “If you hurt them, you’ll be just as bad.”

 

Jaebum smiled up at Jackson. “Yeah, let them go. I wouldn’t begrudge you an extra kick, though.” 

 

Jackson saluted and sauntered back over to Mark, who was standing over the struggling boys.

 

“Stand up, Jirongie,” Jaebum said softly, helping tug him to his feet. “They have to see you standing.”

 

Jinyoung hugged Jaebum tight, resting half his weight on Jaebum. The two boys were un-handcuffed, and they immediately sprinted away, casting glances back as they fled.

 

As soon as they were out of sight, Mark and Jackson flooded to Jinyoung, petting his hair and wiping any leftover tears and telling him they were so, so glad he was safe. 

 

“I bet you Bambam is worried sick,” Mark said. “Let’s call him.” He pulled out his phone and dialed the house. “Hey, Bammie. I know we’re late. Jinyoung didn’t show up at the gates after school so we went looking for him. We had to fight some guys off, they were trying to drag him off to one of the darkrooms, I think.” Jaebum heard indistinct yelling. “Yeah, we took care of them. Jinyoung’s okay. He’s right here. We’ll be home soon, okay? Sorry for making you worry.” Mark paused. “Mm-hm. Okay, see you.”

 

“Thank you guys so much,” Jinyoung said quietly as soon as Mark hung up.

 

“I wish we could’ve gotten there sooner,” Mark said. 

 

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Jaebum said. “I want you, Jinyoung, to stay with your art professor until we come and pick you up, okay? I have a free block at the end of the day tomorrow, so it shouldn’t be a problem then.”

 

“And I have a free block today,” Jackson chimed in.

 

“We’ll be there, okay? Hopefully no one will try it again after today, but you never know.” Jaebum squeezed Jinyoung lightly. “You won’t be hurt anymore if I can help it.”

 

“I wish I could fight back,” Jinyoung said miserably. “But I’m not good at that… I’m not like you guys… and besides, there are usually so many.”

 

“No one blames you,” Mark said. “We all have our strengths.”

 

“I’m not strong,” Jinyoung said with a sad laugh.

 

“Of course you are!” Jackson rebutted immediately. “Otherwise how could you have survived this hell for so long? Maybe you’re not as physically strong, but emotionally, I’d say you are the strongest.”

 

Jinyoung smiled a watery smile. “Thank you,” he mumbled.

 

They turned onto Jaebum’s street. “Are you hurt?” Jaebum asked for the first time. “Do you need anything cleaned up?”

 

“No, my mouth just hurts from the gag, but… that should go away pretty soon,” Jinyoung said. 

 

“Okay, well, let me know. I just stocked up on medical supplies.” Jaebum smiled lightly. 

 

The front door burst open as soon as they set foot in the driveway. “Yah!! I was so  _worried_ , couldn’t you have texted or something beforehand? You guys are terrible, giving your little brother a heart attack!” Bambam exclaimed jokingly, all smiles as he hugged each person in turn. He got to Jinyoung last and held onto him. “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so glad.”

 

“Let’s go inside, it’s cold,” Mark said, trying to usher everyone indoors. They all did so, Bambam still hanging on to Jinyoung’s arm. Jaebum had dinner to take care of, since clearly he couldn’t expect Jinyoung to make it. Mark offered to help him, and Jackson went to take a shower. Bambam and Jinyoung snuck off to Bambam’s room, and Jaebum hardly noticed.

 

* * *

 

_Bambam’s POV_

“Sit,” Bambam said, not unkindly, to the older boy. “Talk to me. I know… I know what it’s like. And what helps for me might not help for you, but… I don’t know, I just know that I want you to heal, like I’ve been healing?”

 

“I don’t know what I need,” Jinyoung said, a touch of misery lacing his tone.

 

“What helped me was just talking to everyone, and joking around. And…” Bambam trailed off, unsure of how to bring it up. He didn’t want to seem like he was pushing him to join their relationship or anything, but… “Well, Jackson and I…”

 

“I know,” Jinyoung said. “Jaebum told me. I don’t know, I’m just afraid, since it’s a lot of you, and…”

 

“If it makes you more comfortable, perhaps just start with one? Just Jaebum, for example,” Bambam tried. 

 

“But it’s not exclusive, and I… I’m sorry I’m so high-maintainence, I just…” Jinyoung put his head in his hands.

 

“Hey, if that’s what you need, if you need a period where it’s just Jaebum and you and he only has you and you only have him, if that’s what you need to adjust and heal and trust, then talk to him. I certainly wouldn’t be mad. I’m sure Jackson and Mark wouldn’t mind either. They’d understand,” Bambam said.

 

“I don’t know… I’ll talk to him about it.” Jinyoung looked up. “Thank you, Bambam, really.”

 

“No problem, hyung,” Bambam said, reaching out for a hug.

 

* * *

 

_Jaebum’s POV_

After dinner, Jaebum poked his head into Jinyoung’s room. “Hey, are you doing okay? Do you need anything?”

 

“Can I talk to you? Upstairs, in your room, preferably?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Oh! Sure,” Jaebum said, a little taken aback. 

 

They walked in silence. Jaebum noticed Jinyoung fidgeting awkwardly.

 

“Okay.” Jaebum shut the door. “What’s up?”

 

“I was talking to Bambam…” Jinyoung said. “And he suggested… well, I want to trust you, and you know that. And you’re the one I trust the most out of everyone. The point is, I was wondering if just for a little while, like maybe just a couple weeks, you and I could… could have an exclusive relationship. Just so I don’t dive into all of this all at once.” He looked up at Jaebum pleadingly. “Do you understand?”

 

“Of course! Of course,” Jaebum said. “That’s completely fine. I can do that. I would love to do that. Can I go let the others know?”

 

“Just for a couple weeks,” Jinyoung clarified quickly.

 

“No, for as long as you need it for, okay?” Jaebum said. “That’s what’s most important.” Jinyoung looked up at him, and then quickly glanced at the floor. “Hey, it’s important to me that you’re okay, and I’ll do whatever it takes.” Jinyoung nodded, and Jaebum pulled him into a hug, kissing the top of his head. “I’ll be right back.”

 

Jaebum hurried downstairs, and found all the boys in Jackson’s room. “Hey, Bam, can you explain to them what’s going on? Sorry, Jinyoung kind of needs me, I don’t want to leave him alone too long, but… I’m his and only his for a couple weeks or so, okay? He’s just worried about the whole open relationship thing.”

 

“Tell him we totally understand,” Mark said.

 

“It’s not a problem at all,” Jackson added.

 

“Okay, thanks, guys!” Jaebum retreated and went back upstairs to Jinyoung.

 

“What did they say?” Jinyoung murmured flatly.

 

“They said they completely understand, and it’s no problem,” Jaebum replied. “I told you, it’s fine. What do you need?”

 

Jinyoung looked up at him. “I…” He blushed, and looked away, swallowing.

 

“Is this what you need?” Jaebum asked, wrapping Jinyoung into a hug. Jinyoung hugged him back, nodding. “How about this?” He leaned in and kissed Jinyoung on the lips. 

 

“Y-yes,” Jinyoung confirmed shakily. 

 

“Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want,” Jaebum whispered 

 

“I want…” Jinyoung swallowed. “I want you to fuck me, but I want you to be gentle. I need you to be gentle.”

 

“As you wish,” Jaebum said, kissing him again.

 

“Are you quoting Princess Bride at me?” Jinyoung asked, a small feather of amusement entering his voice.

 

“If I am?”

 

“Then you’re still the same as when we were younger,” Jinyoung said. “And I could not be happier.”

 

Jaebum smiled. “I cried for a week after my father’s job moved us away,” he said softly. “I missed you terribly. You were one of my closest friends, and certainly one of the kindest people I had ever met. And I knew something was going wrong for you, and even though I wasn’t much help at all, I couldn’t help but wonder who was going to ask you if you were okay every morning when you came to school thin and puffy-eyed and scarred and tired. Even if you would probably lie and say you were just fine, just like you did to me.” He gently laid Jinyoung down, making sure a soft pillow was situated under his head, and half sitting, half lying beside him. He brushed his fingers over Jinyoung’s face, tracing the shapes of his bones. "I gave you my new home phone number. And you only called once, and then I thought, ‘maybe he’s found someone that can actually help him, unlike me.’ So I tried not to worry.”

 

“I should’ve called,” Jinyoung said, leaning into Jaebum’s touch, sometimes briefly nuzzling his hand. “I should’ve called again. But I didn’t want to bother you—I figured, with me so far away, why should I burden you and drag you down, especially since there was absolutely nothing you could do to help me? Better to leave you alone, and let you find people that could actually give you things, instead of… me.”

 

“Don’t refer to yourself that way, ever again,” Jaebum said. “The way you said ‘me’ just now, that’s not okay. You make it sound like mud, like poison. You are not a bad thing. You were never a burden to me. I loved your company.” He swept his fingers through Jinyoung’s hair lightly. Jinyoung froze at those last words, eyes wide. “I loved being around you, it was never chore.” Jinyoung looked a little shocked. Jaebum tried to lock eyes.

 

Jinyoung didn’t meet Jaebum’s gaze. “I loved you,” he said to the wall. Jaebum stared. Jinyoung seemed to find some kind of resolve, and he turned back and looked right into Jaebum’s eyes. “I think I love you still. You were the first person to treat me like a person. You don’t have to say it back. I know it’s a lot, but it’s all I’ve been thinking about, since I first saw you in the art studio two days ago—I couldn’t believe you were here.” He looked up at Jaebum and gave him one of his most angelic smiles, pure and genuine. “You don’t have to say it back, Jaebum, I mean it.”

 

“I care about you so much,” Jaebum choked out. “I’m just—still trying to figure love out—I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s okay,” Jinyoung said, smiling still. “It’s okay, I’m just so glad I told you. I think… I think that’s been eating at me for years.”

 

“Okay,” Jaebum said shakily. Inside, he was screaming,  _of course I love you, too._ But It was so hard to say. And he had so many people he wanted to say it to. Was that fair? Did it even count?  _I don’t know. I am not as good as the rest of them, who knows if it counts._  


Jinyoung leaned over and kissed him, pulling him closer, until Jaebum was halfway leaning over Jinyoung’s body. “I still need this,” he said. “Please…”

 

“Of course,” Jaebum said. “Can you take off your shirt?”

 

Jinyoung nodded, and pulled it over his head the girl way, grabbing at the hem and flipping it up. “You too, I want to see you.”

 

Jaebum complied immediately, grabbing the back collar and pulling it off in a fluid motion. 

 

“You’re so slim, Jinyoung,” Jaebum said, running light touches down the younger boy’s smooth stomach. Jinyoung just gave a faint moan, breathy and beautiful, quiet like a secret. He reached up and splayed his hand against Jaebum’s chest, mapping the skin there, like he’s sculpting Jaebum’s muscles with his palms. They met in the middle for kisses, drawing everything out, staying quiet and slow.

 

Jaebum felt somehow rested. At this point, he’d do almost anything Jinyoung needed of him. The softness of what they were doing was calming, even though Jaebum knew a frantic undercurrent cut emotions sharp underneath. But now, he could just reach and touch and  _give_. 

 

Their hands have moved lower, pressing on hips and tugging lightly at waistbands. They helped each other out of their pants, and then pressed body to body, kisses to necks. 

 

Jaebum stretched out to get the lube from the drawer of his nightstand. “Can I finger you, is that okay?”

 

“Yeah,” Jinyoung whispered. His pupils were blown, and he kept his eyes open as Jaebum pushed the first finger in. Jaebum watched Jinyoung’s face, watched the quietness of everything Jinyoung was. He knew one thing Jinyoung did not do quietly was love. But could Jaebum say he loved him? Could he give so much to one person, could he  _take_ so much from one person? 

 

He was at two fingers, then, trying to curl his fingers to find Jinyoung’s sweet spot. He did, but Jinyoung did not cry out, only screwed up his face and let out a gasp, but still something soft and airy, still something secret, still something that couldn’t be taken away from them. Jaebum added a third finger, still keeping things slow, using his other hand to brush sweaty hair out of Jinyoung’s eyes. He bent down to kiss him again, and again, trying to offer with his actions what he cannot seem to offer in words.

 

“Jaebum,” Jinyoung breathed out, just loud enough for Jaebum to hear. He didn’t have to say anything else, Jaebum knew what he wanted.

 

“Do you need me to use a condom? I’m clean,” Jaebum asked quickly, voice just as hushed. 

 

“I’m clean, too.” Jinyoung kissed him again. “I don’t need it.”

 

Jaebum nodded, and blindly searched for the bottle of lube, trying to keep close to Jinyoung. He opened it and drizzled some on his cock, wiping up the extra and smearing it around and in Jinyoung’s hole. Jinyoung breathed one harsh breath out against Jaebum’s shoulder, giving the older boy’s neck a soft bite. Jaebum pressed the tip of his dick to Jinyoung’s entrance, paused for just a moment, and then started easing into him. 

 

Jaebum started with short, delicate thrusts, gently fucking Jinyoung open so that he could go deeper. And he did go deeper, but never faster, keeping the same, lazy pace, staying light and giving kisses whenever he felt a thrust was a tiny bit too rough.

 

But no matter what, both boys kept their eyes open. The air was heavy with breathing and tiny moans, and they drank in each other’s gaze, tethering each other to the present. Something happened between them—the air in the minimal space between their bodies was too thick, perhaps—but somehow, Jaebum felt like he was making up for all the times he couldn’t help Jinyoung in the past. Times he failed to keep him safe.

 

So maybe he couldn’t fully tell Jinyoung he loved him, not yet. But maybe he could spell love  _s-a-f-e,_ something Jinyoung rarely knew, and hold that there as a Band-Aid until he was ready to fix everything for good.

 

Jaebum felt Jinyoung clenching around him, once, twice—he gave a little  _uah_ sound, and then come was spurting out between them. Jinyoung refused to close his eyes, keeping Jaebum there with him, always, and Jaebum was coming, too, buried deep in Jinyoung’s ass.

 

They didn’t speak at first as Jaebum pulled out of him and rolled to the side, discarding the lube on the floor. He kept himself close to Jinyoung, pressing protective kisses to Jinyoung’s collar and neck and jaw. 

 

“Thank you,” Jinyoung whispered after a moment. “That was perfect;  _thank you_.”

 

“You’re forever welcome,” Jaebum murmured sleepily. “ _You_ were perfect. You always are.”

 

Jinyoung made a small noise in the back of his throat, and Jaebum knew then he understood. Love is a heavy word, and some people’s tongues aren’t yet strong enough to lift it. Jinyoung knew Jaebum wasn’t there yet, so while Jinyoung healed, he would help make Jaebum stronger, too. And one day, they would both be ready for the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i would just like to say that at the time of this posting, this fic has 420 kudos I'm screaming lmao #blazeit


	11. Chapter 11

None of the other three woke Jaebum by crawling into his bed the next morning. He woke to his alarm, and to a hushed buzz of tired voices from the kitchen below. After lying there a bit last night, Jaebum has pulled out pajama pants for them both, stumbled over to the light, and then collapsed back into bed, and immediately fell asleep, Jinyoung breathing rhythmically beside him.

 

He shook Jinyoung gently, giving him a soft kiss as he blinked awake. Some part of his face seemed a little clearer. “Time to get up,” he said softly.

 

“Do you have a shirt I can borrow, just for the morning? I’m a little cold,” Jinyoung asked shyly.

 

“Yeah.” Jaebum forced himself to stand, and he crossed the room and opened his dresser, pulling out a plain long sleeve and throwing it onto the bed.

 

“Thanks,” Jinyoung said, pulling it over his head.

 

“C’mon, let’s go see if those three have managed to scrape together breakfast,” Jaebum said, offering a hand to help Jinyoung out of the soft mattress.

 

Jinyoung took it. “Or if they’ve charred the entire stovetop?” 

 

“Yeah, I hope not,” Jaebum said with a laugh. “But you never know, with Bambam running around…”

 

“Nah, he’s responsible enough.” Jinyoung hugged at Jaebum’s arm, resting his chin on his shoulder. “They’re fine, I think. Besides, I don’t smell any burning. Actually… it kind of smells like they’re trying to make something, but haven’t put it in the pan yet.”

 

“Well, we don’t have too much time,” Jaebum said as they descended the stairs. “So they’re going to have to start cooking sometime very soon.”

 

“Good morning, hyung,” Mark called when Jaebum entered the kitchen. “Morning, Jinyoung-ah. We’re trying to make crepes.”

 

“You know you’re allowed to use my stove,” Jaebum said.

 

“I don’t really know how to use it, though,” Mark said. “I figured we’d just make the batter, and then wait for you.”

 

“Okay, fair enough.” Jaebum held out his hands. “I’ll do it. Can you hand me the metal spatula in that drawer next to you, Jackson? Yeah, that one. Thank you.” He turned on the stove, managing the flame so nothing would burn. “Jinyoung, can you grab the cooking oil, please?

 

“This one?”

 

“Yes.” Jaebum took it, pouring a small amount into the pan and lifting the handle to spread it. He ladled in a bit of thin batter and spread it the same way, swirling it so it covered the bottom of the pan. 

 

“You’re good at this,” Bambam commented, impressed. 

 

“My mom made me learn how to cook lots of things because she didn’t want me to be the kind of husband that always expected his spouse to cook for him,” Jaebum said, laughing lightly. “So, I know how to make a huge array of things. How well… that’s another story. But you’re lucky I’m good at breakfast. It’s easier to order out lunch or dinner.”

 

Before long, the crepes were ready and they were all sitting at the table, trying to come up with the best combination of the available ingredients, including Nutella, powdered sugar, and a lot of fruit. Afterwards, they cleaned up quickly and went to change, a little short on time since crepes take a while to cook.

 

“Okay, we’ll be sure to text you this time, if anything happens,” Jaebum promised Bambam. “I’m really sorry you have to be alone all day.”

 

“I’m okay, really.” Bambam smiled cheerfully. “I don’t mind. It’s not the worst thing.”

 

They all hugged Bambam goodbye, and headed out into the cold. Mark and Jackson seemed a little awkward around Jinyoung and Jaebum, choosing to walk a substantial distance ahead. 

 

“I’ll come find you during the last period of the day, since I have a free,” Jaebum said. “Where will you be?”

 

“The art studio, most likely. It’s technically class time, but I don’t think my professor will mind if you come in and sit by me.” Jinyoung shrugged. “We only have like five people in our class, and it’s going to be a work period.” Jinyoung looked out into the distance. “He worries about me, because I don’t have any friends. Well, I didn’t until recently. I think he’ll be glad.”

 

“Hey… Jaebum?” Jackson called back. Jaebum looked up to see the boy backpedaling in tiny steps. “I was thinking about spending a couple nights with my parents. It’s been forever since I’ve visited them.”

 

“No problem, Jackson,” Jaebum said. “You’ll be going straight from school?”

 

“Yeah, if I can,” Jackson said. “I’ll text you at the end of the day, and when I get to my house, okay?”

 

“That would be great,” Jaebum said with a nod. “Tell your parents hi for me, okay?”

 

“For sure!” He turned back around and refocused his attention on Mark.

 

“I’m making things weird between you and them,” Jinyoung said.

 

“What? No, it’s fine,” Jaebum argued immediately. “It’s totally fine, Jinyoung, really. This is important. This is way more important. If anything is bumpy now, it will smooth out in time. I don’t care about that right now, I just want you to be okay. They’re fine.”

 

“Okay,” Jinyoung said.

 

“Hey, remember what I said, okay? You’re not a burden. You never were. I like being around you. We all do.” Jaebum squeezed Jinyoung’s shoulder affectionately. Jinyoung smiled just a tiny bit. Jaebum snuck a quick kiss to his cheek, laughing open-mouthed when Jinyoung gave a surprised yelp.

 

And so the day went. Jaebum would be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t worried.  _Jinyoung knows how to stay safe as best he can,_ he kept on having to remind himself.  _Let him be, he’s practically your age_. 

 

Lo and behold, Jinyoung was in the art studio in one piece when Jaebum slipped in. The classroom was a little empty, but no one but the professor looked up when he walked in. The professor followed Jaebum with his eyes as he crossed the room to Jinyoung. 

 

Jaebum dropped lightly onto a stool next to Jinyoung and peered at his canvas. He was painting lightning, using an image on his phone. “Hey,” Jaebum whispered.

 

“Hey,” Jinyoung whispered back, his eyes never leaving his work. “I told Professor that you would be coming.”

 

“Everything okay?” Jaebum asked, leaning back against the side of a table, letting his bag slip through his fingers and hit the floor.

 

“Yeah,” Jinyoung said. “No one’s come at me yet.“

 

“I’m glad,” Jaebum said softly. “I was thinking about ordering something out for dinner tonight, because I’m too lazy to cook. Do you have a favorite food?”

 

Jinyoung took a while to answer. Jaebum wasn’t sure if it was because he was so focused on painting or if it was because he was thinking. “Pizza would be nice,” he said finally. 

 

“Ooh, good idea.” Jaebum pulled out his phone. “Okay, sorry. I’ll let you work.”

 

Jinyoung nodded his gratitude, and Jaebum spent the rest of the time scrolling through Twitter and playing games. Eventually, a distant bell rang and everyone began to pack up.

 

“Good, focused work today, class,” the professor called from the front. “See you all tomorrow—remember, it’s due next Friday, so use the rest of our class periods wisely.”

 

Jaebum waited for Jinyoung to put all of his supplies away, stretching. He noticed the other kids laughing and talking with one another, but not sparing a glance to Jinyoung. He also noticed that Jinyoung was the only hybrid in the class. 

 

“I’m ready,” Jinyoung said quietly, shouldering his bag.

 

“Okay, let’s go find the others,” Jaebum said. “And then I can call for pizza when we get home.”

 

“Sounds good.” They left the classroom, waving goodbye to the professor. Jaebum felt Jinyoung keep close beside him, and, sneaking a look, saw that he was flitting his gaze everywhere, straining to see what—or who—was around the corner.

 

“Hey, you’re with me, and when you’re with me, I promise nothing bad is going to happen to you, okay?” Jaebum reached his arm over Jinyoung’s shoulders. Jinyoung swished his tail worriedly. “I’m serious, I promise you.”

 

“Okay,” Jinyoung said quietly, but Jaebum knew he didn’t quite believe him. Nevertheless, he didn’t try to move Jaebum’s arm.

 

“Hey!” Mark called out as soon as they were close. “We’re all here.” 

 

“Where’s Jackson?”

 

“Parent’s house, remember?”

 

Jaebum checked his phone. “Ah, look at that. He’s already texted me. I totally forgot.” 

 

“Any plans for dinner?” Mark asked as they made their way out to the sidewalk.

 

“Pizza,” Jaebum said. “Maybe even some ice cream if you guys are good.”

 

“I’m always good,” Mark pouted. “Jackson’s gonna be mad he’s missing pizza.”

 

“It’s not like this is the last time we’ll be getting pizza,” Jaebum pointed out.

 

They bickered back and forth the rest of the way home, talking and laughing. Even Jinyoung joined in a bit. Bambam was at the house to greet them, and was delighted at the prospect of pizza for dinner. 

 

Despite the layers of armor that Jinyoung still kept up around him, Jaebum couldn’t help but think it seemed that something small had been lifted off his shoulders. His smile was more open; a sort of film had cleared from his eyes. 

 

It was kind of funny; Jaebum really did feel like a parent that night, giving each of the other boys a hug before sending them off to bed, and then heading upstairs with Jinyoung. And they showered separately and curled up next to each other, facing inwards, sharing the same air. Jaebum massaged Jinyoung’s hands carefully, pressing kisses to his fingers and his hair. They didn’t speak, and fell asleep holding hands.

 

Sleep evaded Jaebum some nights. He stayed up, watching Jinyoung breathe, thinking about the other three as well, wondering— _knowing_ —that he loved them, all of them, equally, deeply—but not knowing if that was okay. Not knowing if one person is allowed that much. He always thought back to what Jinyoung had said, something about how  _the more people there are the less it means_ and maybe that’s not exactly what he meant, but it’s all Jaebum can think. How his love for each of the hybrids means less and less as more of them join the household. He wanted to tell them all how much they meant to him, that he loved them so much and would never be able to let them go, but he didn’t know how. He didn’t know how to just bring that up, how to enforce sincerity. So he swallowed all these thoughts and tried his hardest to get to sleep at night.

 

And so another week and a half passed. Jackson was in and out of the house. Winter was in full force, and Jaebum could smell the Christmas season fast approaching. Jinyoung grew more and more comfortable around everyone. He laughed more, he was louder in general, and when he smiled, it became less like some form of comforting candlelight and more like the sun had just broken through the clouds. 

 

After a round of lazy, afternoon sex one Saturday, Jaebum reached over, brushing Jinyoung’s hair out of his eyes. “You’re such an angel,” he breathed, watching Jinyoung’s face.

 

“I am not,” Jinyoung protested.

 

“Yes, you are, you glow,” Jaebum replied. “Really, you’re an angel.”

 

Jinyoung smiled and closed his eyes. “Okay, sure.” 

 

“I… I’m not just telling you that for the sake of it,” Jaebum said. A sort of lump lodged itself in his throat.

 

The smile on Jinyoung’s face grew. “I love you,” he said, tracing light patterns into the backs of Jaebum’s hands.

 

Jaebum was always so close to saying it back.

 

* * *

 

_Mark’s POV_

Jaebum was going to have to be away for another late meeting with his father. It was the first week of December, and snow was in the forecast, so everyone told Jaebum to be careful, and to call them before going to bed.

 

“I’m not going to bed until around two in the morning,” Jaebum warned as he picked up his bag and shrugged on his coat.

 

“If we’re going to be honest here, neither will we,” Jinyoung said. He gave Jaebum a quick kiss on the cheek. “Stay safe, okay?”

 

“I will,” Jaebum said, smiling. “You, too—all of you.”

 

Mark smiled and waved, shivering as a blast of cold air swept into the house when Jaebum pulled the door open. And soon he was gone, and Jackson and Bambam began clamoring for a popcorn-and-movie night.

 

While those two were figuring snacks out, Mark went to set up the TV. He felt Jinyoung enter the living room.

 

“Mark…” Jinyoung began. Mark straightened, turning to face him. “I just wanted to say… I’m sorry. For keeping him from you. And I want you to know that I talked to him this morning, and I’m ready. So when he gets back, it can go back to how it was with all of you, just… with me, too.”

 

Mark smiled and crossed the room, holding his arms out to Jinyoung. “No one is mad at you for, what did you say? ‘Keeping him from us’? It’s totally okay. I’m just glad that you’ve had a chance to settle, and that you’re more comfortable now.”

 

Jinyoung laughed a little bit, accepting Mark’s hug. “I’m glad too,” he said. “I really like all of you guys.”

 

“We like you, too,” Mark said. “When they come sit down, we can all talk.”

 

“About… this?”

 

“Well, yeah, we have to talk about limits and stuff, right?” Mark said. “Just so we all know where everyone stands.”

 

“They’re going to be comfortable with that?” Jinyoung asked. “ _You’re_ going to be comfortable with that?”

 

“Why do people always assume I’m the one who’s going to get all embarrassed!” Mark exclaimed good-naturedly.

 

“Probably because you are,” Jackson replied, upper body hidden behind a huge bowl of cheddar-and-caramel popcorn. “I’m going to drop this if you two don’t get out of my way.”

 

“Sorry,” Mark said, sticking his tongue out and moving to the side.

 

“Let me help,” Jinyoung said. “This is just popcorn, right? Why is it so heavy?”

 

“Caramel glaze adds a lot of weight,” Jackson speculated. They put it down on the coffee table. “It’s kind of unhealthy, I guess.” He laughed. “But at least its—”

 

“Organic?” Mark asked wryly.

 

“If you’re talking down the organic popcorn, it’s actually really good,” Bambam said, coming in with a bottle of Sprite, a bottle of Fanta, and bottle of Coca-cola, and some crazy soda Mark had never heard of before, all in the small classic glass bottles. He handed the Coca-cola to Mark, the Fanta to Jinyoung, and the Sprite to Jackson, keeping whatever it was to himself. Mark blinked in surprise. Obviously Jaebum wouldn’t keep the house without each of their favorite sodas, but how did Bambam know? Mark doubted even Jaebum kept track.

 

“Okay, scary movie or K-drama?” Jackson asked.

 

“Scary,” Mark and Bambam said.

 

“Drama,” Jinyoung said at the same time.

 

“Uh-oh,” Jackson said. “I want a drama too.”

 

“Let’s let Jinyoung pick,” Mark said. “Because he has an announcement.”

 

“What? Oh.” Jinyoung blushed faintly. “I talked to Jaebum about this already… I’m ready.”

 

“No way!” Jackson yelled.

 

Bambam jumped onto Jinyoung, hugging him. “I’m so happy you’re comfortable around us now.”

 

“I can’t resist you guys,” Jinyoung said jokingly. Mark laughed, but he knew part of it was serious. “So K-drama it is?”

 

“Fine,” Bambam said, plopping down and grabbing a handful of popcorn. “Let’s do that one we really wanted to start—Jackson, what is it called?”

 

“Yah, you don’t even know?” Jackson pulled it up. “The Heirs!” He fiddled through Netflix and got the first episode up, and then settled into the couch with the other three, reaching for a handful of popcorn as well.

 

Mark rested his head on Jinyoung’s shoulder, arm outstretched and resting on Jackson’s head, lazily brushing through his hair. Bambam curled up next to Jackson, hugging his waist and resting his head against Jackson’s chest. Jinyoung wrapped his arm around Mark’s shoulders and brought the popcorn bowl closer to them so everyone could reach.

 

The credits were rolling at the end of the first episode when Bambam shot off the couch and pressed his face to the window.

 

“What are you doing?” Jackson asked somewhat groggily.

 

“Omo! It’s  _snowing!_ It’s snowing hard!” Bambam cried, bouncing up and down.

 

“You’re kidding.” The other three boys scrambled to the window, too, finding that Bambam was telling the truth. Huge, fluffy flakes were cascading down, already sticking, already enough to build a small snowman in Jaebum’s backyard.

 

“Yikes,” Mark said. “If it keeps going like this, how will Jaebum get back?”

 

“What if the power goes out?” Bambam asked worriedly.

 

“Jaebum has a generator,” Jackson reassured him. “He taught me how to start it last weekend.”

 

“What if he gets stuck out there, trying to make his way home to us?” Jinyoung murmured. “Should we call him?”

 

“Not now,” Mark decided, trying to keep his head.  _It’s just some snow. It’ll be fine. It’s just some snow. Why are we worrying so much?_ “It’s not a big deal yet. Let’s wait until tomorrow morning, and if he’s back, then he’s back, and if he’s not, we can try his cell then, okay? No need to worry him. Besides,” he added, looking at the clock, “he’s probably still in the meeting. He won’t answer, and we might embarrass him in front of his father, and everyone else at the meeting, if his phone rings.” Mark nodded to himself. “There’s no need to worry him. It’ll be fine.”

 

Jinyoung tugged the blinds closed. They all turned away from the windows and grabbed pillows and made a circle on the floor.  _We’re all trying to hide it,_ Mark thought.  _How worried we are for him._  


“I have a question for you guys,” Jinyoung said abruptly. “Have you ever told someone—aside from your parents—that you loved them?”

 

“Yeah, I told Bambam yesterday,” Jackson said offhandedly. Mark blinked. “Because I know he knows I mean it—right? Other people I try to wait longer others they think I am being insincere.” He looked over at Mark, who blushed. “I love you, too, but I was waiting to say it because I know you’re less… free with that.”

 

“Thank you,” Mark said quietly. “I would’ve… I would’ve believed you.” He forced himself to keep Jackson’s gaze, feeling as though his heart had gotten lodged in his throat. “I love you, too.”

 

“Yah, did Bambam say it back to you?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Of course I did!” Bambam said indignantly.

 

“Okay. It’s just that…” Suddenly Jinyoung looked very sad. “I told Jaebum, last week, and he didn’t say it back. And I can understand why,… but… you guys are already there…”

 

“He knew you before,” Mark said. “So it’s understandable why you’re a little upset. But he is a little bit stoic. He hasn’t said it to any of us, either.”

 

“I think he’s afraid,” Jackson said. “I believe he loves us a lot, but… maybe it’s just hard to say. I mean, it  _is_ hard to say. Give him time.”

 

“I know, I’m not complaining, just a little worried,” Jinyoung explained.

 

Mark scooted over to him. “It’s kinda hard, huh?” he asked. “I know Jaebum cares about you a lot, don’t worry.”

 

Jinyoung smiled weakly. “I hope so… Thank you.”

 

They tried to distract themselves with games and by talking, but around midnight they all gave up and went to their respective rooms. Mark lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling, worries running through his mind like waves.  _It’s just a bit of snow_ , he reminded himself.  _Tomorrow, Jaebum will be home and you’ll be able to have him again._  


“It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered, trying to imagine it was someone else comforting him.

 

It didn’t help.

 

* * *

 

The snow lightened by morning. Jaebum was not home. At the breakfast table, they tried to keep their fears under wraps and talked about what to do.

 

“I got the generator running,” Jackson said. “And I think we should shovel out the driveway, so Jaebum doesn’t have to wade through a wall of snow just to get to us.” 

 

“Sounds good,” Mark said. “I think he has a couple shovels in the garage. 

 

“Do you think we should get the snow off the roof?” Bambam asked. “It’s kinda heavy.”

 

“I’m pretty sure Jaebum’s dad had the roof reinforced,” Mark said, looking up at the ceiling. “I mean, it hasn’t fallen yet, so I doubt it will. Besides, how in the world would you do that? It’s too slippery, it’s too dangerous. I don’t think Jaebum would be pleased if he found out.”

 

“Good point,” Bambam said, nodding. “Maybe we could try sending him an email…”

 

They couldn’t call because a cell tower had gotten crushed. But since Jackson had started the generator, they had lights and heat and wifi. 

 

Jinyoung nodded. “I can go do that, if that’s okay with you guys. I’ll join you in the snow shoveling as soon as I’m done.”

 

“Sure,” Mark said.

 

“Hyung just doesn’t want to be out in the cold,” Bambam teased, blowing Jinyoung a kiss when he received a reproving look.

 

It was settled. Mark, Jackson, and Bambam retrieved shovels from the garage, and set to work at the front steps, throwing snow off the side and very slowly making a clear, wide path from the steps to the mouth of the driveway. A work crew passed by while they were working, clearing the streets, and soon the occasional car was passing by, as well as a couple ambulances.

 

Bambam shivered. “Imagine,” he said softly. “Being trapped in your house, and knowing no ambulance can come for you for an hour because the road is completely covered in a foot of snow.”

 

“Imagine,” Mark said, even softer, “not knowing if people you care about are trapped like that. Not knowing if they’re safe, and then beating yourself up even though it can’t be your fault.”

 

Jackson gave Mark a look. “I hope he gets Jinyoung’s email,” he said, turning away. Mark knew his lips were trembling, and it wasn’t from the cold.

 

Jinyoung joined them around eleven. The snow had stopped at ten, making their work easier, so by twelve they were inside, huddled together as Jinyoung put together lunch. They didn’t talk much, each too lost in his own thoughts to form words. They gathered together in the living room, and either tried to read, or just went on their phones. They tried not to look at the clock, but ended up checking the time every five minutes. Mark grew increasingly worried.

 

It was two o’clock, and Jaebum was not home. He had not even responded to the email.  _Something is wrong._  


Horrible scenarios raced through Mark’s head, each more terrifying than the last. A small selfish part of him kept reminding his thoughts that if something happened to Jaebum, the four of them were in a dangerous position. Jaebum’s parents would certainly take Jackson and Mark, but they never paid for Bambam and Jinyoung. Perhaps something could be done for the latter, but Mark didn’t even want to entertain the options that the ginger kitten would have to face. They needed Jaebum, in more ways than one.  _If something has happened to him, surely we would’ve heard something by now. He’s the son of the CEO of one of the biggest companies in the country._  


Of course, Mark realized, rationale does nothing in the face of a heart filled with fear.


	12. Chapter 12

_Jaebum’s POV_

Jaebum woke the next morning to a foot of snow. It was still snowing, not as hard as the night before, but hard enough that it was taking the work crews forever to clear the streets. Furthermore, a tree had collapsed on a cell tower, so no one could make calls. The Internet was also down in the inner city, so there was no way he could contact the other four and make sure they were okay, or tell them that he wouldn’t be home until the afternoon.

 

He grew increasingly worried as estimated times for clear roads kept getting pushed further and further back.  _What is something has happened to them? What if the power is out and the generator doesn’t work? What if they’re scared; what if someone broke in and I wasn’t there to keep them safe?_  


Around noon, one of his father’s employees managed to get over the his father’s house with news he had heard on the radio—the university district was completely without power because of the winds the night before, and a couple of houses around the university either had trees fallen on them, or so much snow that the roof caved. So far, no one had been reported dead, but twelve people had been hospitalized.

 

Jaebum almost had a heart attack. Immediately, he thought of his promise to all of them, Jinyoung in particular— _I’ll protect you, I’ll keep you safe, nothing will hurt you when you’re with me_ —if they were one of the unlucky ones, he would have failed.

 

  
_And I didn’t even tell Jinyoung I loved him—I didn’t tell any of them._ Jaebum slipped away quietly after lunch to his room so his father wouldn’t see him if he cried.  _I love them so much, and they have to know that—It’s not okay that I’ve kept all of them hanging like that. Even if they all are okay, what if this happens again? They have to know. They have to know._  


Thankfully, the roads were deemed safe enough for Jaebum to be driven home around two or three in the afternoon. The entire car ride was tense. As they got closer and closer to his house, Jaebum noticed houses with parts of roofs missing, one horrible one where the side had been grazed by a medium-sized tree. Jaebum found himself tilted forward in his seat, desperate to see the state of his own house, desperate to know if the people inside were okay.

 

His house still stood, as it always had. It blended into the soft, white background. It seemed that the boys had shoveled a wide pathway from the front steps to the opening of the driveway for him. He gave a small smile of relief.  _If they managed to do that, they have to be just fine._  


He hopped out of the car, quickly thanking the driver, and hurried up the steps. His fingers were already so cold, so it took him a second to get the key in the lock. He swung the door open, grabbing his key back into his pocket, kicking off his shoes. 

 

“I’m back!” he called. He heard a thunder of footsteps from down the hall. He hung up his coat and put his bag on the floor just in time. All four boys skidded to a half right in front of him. “Are you all okay?” he asked immediately. “No one hurt? Any damage to the house?”

 

“We’re fine, hyung,” Mark said breathlessly. “We were worried about you.”

 

Jaebum opened his arms to him. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I couldn’t—there was no way for me to get a hold of you.”

 

“We don’t blame you,” Jinyoung reassured quietly. Jaebum looked at him over Mark’s head, the latter’s soft ears tickling his cheek. 

 

“You told them, yes?” he asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

Jaebum let out a breath, releasing Mark. “I was so worried about you guys—I heard houses in this area had collapsed roofs, and some people had to get taken to hospitals—I couldn’t bear the thought of—if—if any of you got hurt—” Jaebum grabbed for Jackson’s hand, just to make sure he was there, ran his hand through Bambam’s hair, gestured Jinyoung closer so that he could give him a kiss, before stepping back, taking another steadying breath. “I love you guys so much, I’ve been thinking about this for weeks, and this morning—I was so mad at myself for never saying anything. I didn’t mean to hurt any of you, I was just so afraid it didn’t count or something because of how many of you there are. I love you, all of you, so much. I want you to know that. I want you to never forget that. I just—if something had happened today and you never knew, I—I love you.”

 

There was a split second of stillness, and then all four hybrids hurled themselves at Jaebum. Jinyoung reached Jaebum first, and pressed a fierce kiss to his lips. 

 

“We love you, too,” Mark said, nuzzling into Jaebum’s neck. “It counts, of course it counts.”

 

Jackson had his arms wrapped around Jaebum’s torso, and Bambam had ended up behind Jaebum with his arms around his shoulders, nose pressed to the back of Jaebum’s hair. 

 

“I love you,” Jaebum repeated, over and over, “I love you so much. I’m so glad you’re all okay, I love you, I’m sorry.” He began to laugh—it finally sunk in. He had said it, he had told them, and everything was okay. No one was hurt and the house was intact and he was  _home_. 

 

Bambam continued to cling to him even after the others peeled off to go sleep, maybe, or watch TV.

 

“I need to study, kitten,” Jaebum said apologetically. “I’m afraid it’s going to be kind of boring and I won’t be able to pay much attention to you. Can you give me an hour? And then I’ll take care of you.”

 

Bambam pouted a little, but nodded and let go. “Okay, but I’m setting a timer,” he threatened.

 

Jaebum laughed. “Go ahead.”

 

An hour passed faster than he thought it would. Soon, he was just finishing an assignment when Bambam knocked on the door. “Hyung, the hour’s up.”

 

“Ah, I’m almost done,” Jaebum said. “One second.”

 

“Hyung,” Bambam whines softly. “I never got the chance before.”

 

“I’m not saying no, I’m just saying wait a minute,” Jaebum said, trying to flood his tone with sweetness. “Can you do that for me, wait a minute?"

 

“Hurry,” Bambam said impatiently. Something more fluid entered his voice, and Jaebum chanced a look up. It was a mistake. Bambam was biting his lip and giving Jaebum a very heated look.

 

“Stop that,” Jaebum said, pointing his pen at him and refocusing on the packet.

 

He impressed himself, and actually finished it before grabbing Bambam and pushing him across the hall into his bedroom, lips on lips.

 

“How come we didn’t do this before?” Bambam asked, trying to get his breath back.

 

“Because I was afraid of scaring you,” Jaebum said. “And then Jinyoung came along.”

 

“Right.” Bambam nodded. “You don’t scare me now.”

 

“I can tell,” Jaebum replied dryly as the smaller boy tugged off Jaebum’s shirt and began pressing kisses to Jaebum’s chest, sucking and biting softly. “I’m still a little worried about—I dunno, just tell me things that you absolutely can’t stand.”

 

“I have to be able to breathe,” Bambam said. “No… tying me up, or pinning me down. Tell me what you’re doing first before you do it. A little bit of pain is good, like—like a spank or a soft bite or something, but only with praise. I also like being told what to do, but not too… too meanly.”

 

“I can do that,” Jaebum agreed, running a hand through Bambam’s hair. “Get on the bed.”

 

Bambam hopped up happily and scrambled onto the bed, resting his head back on one of the pillows. 

 

“There’s a bottle of lube in the bedside table drawer to your right,” Jaebum said. “Finger yourself, I’ll help once you get to three fingers because my fingers are thicker.” Bambam kicked off his pants, reaching around for the lube. He found it and carefully coated one finger with it and then reached down and slid it in with a small gasp. His eyes fluttered shut. Jaebum forced himself not to get closer, because if he got closer he would want to touch, and he didn’t want to scare Bambam. “Add another finger,” he said hoarsely. Bambam complied. “Good, you look so good.”

 

A small whimper rose up from the back of Bambam’s throat. It hung in the air, and Jaebum breathed it in, swallowing hard. Bambam added another finger without being asked to, keening softly and lifting his hips off the bed.

 

“Can I touch you?” Jaebum asked.

 

Bambam slowly opened his eyes. “Please.”

 

Jaebum made his way slowly to the bed, mattress dipping under his knee as he leaned to give Bambam a kiss. “Love you,” he murmured softly, finding the lube and slicking three fingers out. He tapped Bambam’s hand lightly. The boy removed his fingers and Jaebum slid his inside Bambam in their place before he could even feel the loss. Jaebum sank down next to Bambam’s side, kissing his neck, Bambam mouthing hotly over his cheeks and jaw. Jaebum found his prostate, and flicked over it every few thrusts, until Bambam was begging for his cock.

 

“Want you,” Bambam whispered. “I’m ready.”

 

“Okay,” Jaebum whispered back, gently pulling his fingers out and reaching for the lube, wriggling out of his jeans. He spread the cold lube over his dick, watching Bambam’s eyes. “Turn over.” Bambam rolled onto his stomach. “Ass up.” Bambam pushed his butt into the air, spreading his legs a little bit. “Good.” Jaebum spread a hand across on of Bambam’s butt cheeks, squeezing just lightly enough to leave the slightest fingerprint markings, just for an instant. He saw Bambam reach around to jerk himself off. “Hey,” Jaebum said, swatting Bambam’s ass lightly. “Not yet.”

 

Some sort of intoxicated slur had found its way into Bambam’s voice. “Hit me again,” he mumbled out softly. When Jaebum hesitated, he moved his hand back towards his dick. 

 

Jaebum hit him a little harder, loud enough for it to resonate in the room for a second, enough to leave Bambam’s ass a cute, bright pink. Immediately, Bambam’s hand was back at his head, nowhere near his cock. Jaebum massaged Bambam’s ass lightly, leaning forward. “I said not yet. You heard me, right?” Bambam nodded. “I’m going to give you one more so you can remember." 

 

“Yes,” Bambam whispered out. Jaebum raised his other hand, and spanked Bambam’s other cheek. Bambam gasped and lurched forward slightly. Jaebum dipped his head down and pressed kisses to the faint mark he’d made.

 

“There you go, you remember now, right? Good, you’re being so good for me, Bambam.” Jaebum peeked around and saw a smile on Bambam’s lips. He smiled to himself. “You’ve been so patient. I’m going to fuck you now, is that what you want?”

 

“ _Yes_ ,” Bambam whined out instantly.

 

“Try not to be too loud, I don’t want to disturb the others, okay?” Jaebum said. “Use a pillow or something to bite down on.”

 

“Okay.” Bambam rustled around for a pillow before pressing his face into it.

 

“Make sure you can breathe, though, that’s much, much more important,” Jaebum added.

 

“I can breathe,” Bambam said reassuringly without moving his head.  _Well, if he can talk fine, I guess that means he’s okay,_ Jaebum reasoned to himself. “I want you inside me,” Bambam added. “Please please  _please.”_  


“Okay, kitten,” Jaebum murmured. He spread Bambam’s ass cheeks with his hands and carefully pushed in. Jaebum wasn’t small by any means, and he was a little bit afraid of hurting Bambam, since the kid was so skinny. But Bambam was just fine, pushing back against him already. Gripping Bambam’s hip, Jaebum picked up the pace. Soon the sounds of creaking springs and panting filled the room. Bambam clenched around Jaebum every few thrusts. 

 

“Hit me.” Bambam turned his head slightly so that Jaebum could hear him clearly.

 

“It’s gonna hurt more,” Jaebum said worriedly.

 

“So hit softer,” Bambam argued. “Do I have to beg, Jaebum?  _Please_ hit me, I want it so bad.”

 

Jaebum kissed a line down Bambam’s back. “Okay, okay. Tell me if it hurts too much, though, okay?”

 

“Okay,” Bambam said. Jaebum slowed down slightly, and placed a well-aimed spank on Bambam’s left cheek. Bambam gave a shudder of pleasure, curling his body up.

 

“You’re so good, Bambam,” Jaebum murmured. He wasn’t sure what it was—Bambam begging to be spanked, the way his ass jiggled a little bit after each contact, the way Bambam was clenching around him and being so good not to make too much noise—but Jaebum was already so close. 

 

“Can I touch myself, hyung?” Bambam asked softly. “Want to come.”

 

“Go ahead,” Jaebum said breathlessly, never taking his eyes off the arch of Bambam’s back. He watched as Bambam snaked an arm around, trembling, and began to stroke himself off. True to his promise, he barely made a sound, simply giving small bucks of his hips, and shaking from having to hold himself up with one arm. Jaebum felt himself getting closer and closer. “Can you come for me, Bambam?”

 

Bambam let out a small puff of air, straining. Jaebum closed his eyes, feeling the oncoming waves of pleasure start with tingles in his arms. Bambam let out a barely audible cry. Jaebum thrust into him faster and faster until his orgasm crashed over him and he stilled, breathing heavily.

 

Bambam winced when Jaebum pulled out. Jaebum found a cloth and dampened it under the sink, and brought back paper towels as well to clean up Bambam’s come.

 

“Is your ass okay?” Jaebum asked softly, gently swiping the cool cloth over it. “I have some soothing stuff I can put on it.” 

 

Bambam shook his head. “No, it’ll just be a little sore, but it should be fine by tomorrow. You didn’t hit me that hard.”

 

“Okay.” Jaebum gave the smaller boy a quick kiss. “Are you gonna sleep?”

 

“May I?”

 

“Of course.” Jaebum stood, tossing the cloth in the hamper. “I’m going to go downstairs to see about dinner and check in with the others, okay? You rest.”

 

“Okay,” Bambam said cutely, curling into the blankets. 

 

Jaebum smiled. “I love you,” he said, flicking off the lights. 

 

“I love you, too,” Bambam replied sleepily.

 

It felt so good to hear it. It felt so good to say it. Jaebum felt  _free,_ and he couldn’t stop the stupid grin from plastering itself across his face as he descended the stairs.

 

* * *

 

_Jinyoung’s POV_

“Well, today was eventful,” Mark said, stretching. Jackson poked his stomach and Mark pawed at him lightly. After Jackson had called his parents, since the telephones were working again, they had spent the last hour or so in front of the television, and were now quietly stretched out across the couches. “Good that everyone is okay.”

 

Jackson nodded. “I’m glad my parents are okay.” He paused. “I glad Jaebum’s okay."

 

Jinyoung smiled faintly. “I’m proud of Jaebum,” he said softly. 

 

“Me too,” Jackson said. “I want to go talk to him, but I think he’s studying.”

 

“I also think he’s having alone time with Bambam,” Jinyoung said thoughtfully. “Eventually.”

 

“Oh, it’ll be their first time together,” Mark stated matter-of-factly. “Best not to bother them, then.”

 

“Do you know what we’re doing for Christmas?” Jinyoung asked. “I don’t see a tree up.”

 

“I think Jaebum said we would be going to his father’s holiday party,” Mark said.

 

“We’ll meet his sister!” Jackson yelled.

 

“Oh, Minseung.” Jinyoung smiled. “I had the pleasure of meeting her once. She’s so kind.”

 

“We should get a tree,” Jackson added, completely distracted. “I wonder if he has any ornaments?”

 

“He’s got to have lights, at any rate,” Mark said. “We can ask. I think it would be fun.”

 

“Hey, where are you guys?” Jinyoung craned his neck around, trying to see where Jaebum’s voice was coming from.

 

“We’re in here, hyung!” Jackson called, loud as ever.

 

“We were wondering about a Christmas tree,” Mark said as soon as Jaebum was in the room.

 

“Oh, that’s right, it’s almost Christmas. Oh, that’s  _right,_ I have to tell my parents that I have two more coming with me. Oh.” Jaebum’s face fell. “Bambam’s underage, I wonder how we’re gonna pull that one off.”

 

“I can stay at home with him,” Jinyoung said immediately.

 

“No, I’ll talk to my parents. I’m sure they’ll understand,” Jaebum said, waving him off. “I want you guys to be able to enjoy the party!” He shook his head as if he was clearing it. “Okay, tree. We could probably go get one sometime next week. With all the snow, it might be hard right now… I do have stuff in the basement we can use to decorate the railings of the stairs and things, if you guys want to do that.”

 

“That would be really fun,” Mark said warmly.

 

“Where’s Bambam?” Jackson asked.

 

Jaebum nodded upwards. “Sleeping. We should probably fix lunch. Can you guys help?”

 

“Of course,” the other three said. Jackson pulled Mark to his feet while Jinyoung stood more slowly.

 

“How’re you doing?” Jaebum asked his softly.

 

“Good,” Jinyoung said. He pulled Jaebum into a hug and felt happy tears prick at his eyes. “I’m proud of you,” he whispered.

 

“Thanks,” Jaebum said, blushing. “I love you.”

 

Despite the fact that Jaebum had already said this many times that day, somehow it still caught Jinyoung off guard. He looked Jaebum in the face, searching his eyes.

 

“I mean it,” Jaebum said. “You look like you didn’t expect me to say it, even now—I love you, okay, Jirongie? I love you so much, and I will say it as many times as you need to be able to believe me.”

 

“I believe you,” Jinyoung said honestly, kissing Jaebum’s cheek. “I’m just very happy.”

 

Jaebum kissed him back swiftly and they followed the other two into the kitchen.

 

“We have meat, we have tomatoes, we have cheese, and we have basil, and we have lasagna noodles—literally what else do you need to make a sufficient lasagna?” Jackson was saying.

 

“More vegetables and spices,” Jinyoung said, lightly pushing Jackson aside and digging through the fridge. “We could make a salad.”

 

“Bambam will be put out,” Mark pointed out.

 

“That’s what he gets for sleeping,” Jaebum said. “Let’s do it, it sounds easy.”

 

Jinyoung watched Jackson and Mark closely. He knew he wasn’t seeing things; there was a little tension between them and Jaebum. Jaebum would probably be too blind to see it, or too indecisive to do anything about it. It wasn’t a huge deal; nothing a few kisses wouldn’t fix, but with Christmas fast approaching…  _I just want things to be perfect_.

 

Bambam woke up by himself, coming downstairs right as they were talking about going to get him. Jackson opened his arms to him, and Jinyoung noticed Mark looked a little bit put out. Jaebum was too busy setting plates, and Jinyoung realized—Mark used to have Jaebum to himself. And it was okay sharing with one other person, and two, and three, but he wasn’t getting a lot of attention anymore. He wasn’t the funniest, he wasn’t the cutest, and he wasn’t the most emotionally demanding, so he kind of got put on the back burner just because he was chill. 

 

“Mark-ah,” Jinyoung said, back hugging him and resting his chin on his shoulder. “Are you okay? You look sad.”

 

“No, I’m fine.” Mark smiled. 

 

“Jaebummie has a lot on his mind, but he still loves you.” Jinyoung said quietly.

 

“I know,” Mark said.

 

“It’s hard sometimes, though,” Jinyoung said. “It’s okay to be a little upset.”

 

“I’m okay, Jirongie,” Mark said. “Thank you. I was going to talk to him later today.”

 

“He’ll listen.” Jinyoung kissed Mark’s cheek softly. 

 

“So I heard we want to decorate for Christmas?” Jaebum asked the collective after they had all sat down to eat.

 

“Yes!” Jackson said.

 

“Okay, we’ll get a tree this weekend. Christmas is next Friday, but since some of my dad’s clients don’t celebrate Christmas, he puts the party on New Years’ Eve. It’s also because Christmas is technically family time. If any of you want to go to your own families—Jackson, this means you—don’t hesitate. I think I might spend Christmas Day with my parents and sister, but I’ll be home by 4 to spend the rest of the time with you guys.”

 

“Sounds good,” Jinyoung said. 

 

“Yeah, I’m going to take off around 5 on the night of Christmas Eve,” Jackson said. “But I’ll be back around the same time as Jaebum.”

 

“Good that we don’t have classes next week, at any rate,” Mark said. “We can spend lots of time together then.”

 

“Snowball fight!” Bambam yelled out of the blue. “We should totally have a snowball fight.”

 

“Everyone versus Jaebum!” Jackson yelled.

 

“Wah, that’s not fair!” Mark said.

 

“We’re uneven,” Jinyoung pointed out, trying to stop a small fight from erupting. “It’s going to be unfair no matter what.”

 

“I don’t know if a snowball fight would be the best thing to do right at this moment,” Jaebum said slowly. “Just because snow is the reason people are in the hospital.”

 

“Oh, you’re right,” Jinyoung agreed immediately, realizing how insensitive that would be. “Best to wait a bit.”

 

“We can still decorate, though,” Jackson added, to lift the mood.

 

“Yeah, I can pull out the boxes of lights and garlands and stuff I have. It’s probably too much for one tree; I bet we could string up lights in our bedrooms,” Jaebum suggested.

 

“Yes!” Bambam cried.

 

Jinyoung smiled. Just like that, everyone was happy again. Things were pretty simple, he realized. Because they all cared about each other, they couldn’t stay mad at each other. They wanted to be together and be happy and that was incredible and magical to Jinyoung.

 

So after lunch, Jaebum dragged out boxes and boxes of decorations and they set to work.

 

“First priority is definitely the front entrance—the stairs, mostly,” Jackson proclaimed. They strung fluffy white garlands up and down the railings and the banisters and then wove blue and white lights around the garlands. Jaebum found an extension cord and plugged it all in. They turned off all the other lights and admired their work.

 

“Next is our bedrooms!” Bambam said. “We need to string lights around the perimeters of our windows, and then find a shorter string to put along the headboards of our beds.”

 

“Okay, everyone find  _one_ long string of lights!” Jaebum said. “No fighting! And then we’ll worry about the shorter ones after we get the long ones out of the way.”

 

A flurry of action followed. The four hybrids tacked up their lights quickly, and then grabbed extra strings to help Jaebum, since his window was bigger. Jinyoung reached around Jaebum to help push a stubborn pin into the wall. Mark and Jackson were diligently working together to untangle a string of lights, and Bambam was at Jaebum’s feet, trying to decide the best way to attach the extension cord so that it would be as inconspicuous as possible.

 

Jaebum happened to have eight strings of cute little snowman lanterns, so everyone got one and they still had three leftover for the tree. The work with those went quickly, and they found themselves staring at piles of remaining lights.

 

“I don’t think we could fit a tree big enough to hold all those lights into this house,” Jaebum said honestly after a moment. “What do you say we add some to the living room and to the kitchen?”

 

They decided to use a string of the snowman lanterns above the fireplace, and then the other along the ledge of the window by the sink. Jaebum and Jinyoung carefully draped icicle lights on the top of the cupboards and fridge, while Mark, Bambam, and Jackson worked on the bookshelves in the living room.

 

“Do you have a wreathe?” Bambam asked. “It would be cute on the door.”

 

“No, but we can definitely get one,” Jaebum promised.

 

“What about stockings?” Jackson asked.

 

“Ah, nope,” Jaebum said with a sheepish laugh. “We can get those too, if you want.”

 

“Can we?” Mark asked.

 

“Sure.” Jaebum pulled Mark into a side hug. 

 

“What time is it?” Bambam asked, peering outside.

 

Jinyoung checked his watch. “Ah. Dinnertime.” 

 

“Lasagna!” Jackson yelled, sprinting towards the kitchen, Bambam hot on his heels.

  


* * *

 

_Jaebum’s POV_

Lasagna turned out to be fine. Once they were fed, everyone calmed down a bit. Jaebum shooed Jinyoung away from the dishes, telling him to go get some rest. 

 

Jaebum’s plan was to finish the dishes and then go talk to Mark. He was trying his best not to show it, but Jaebum knew he felt a little neglected. And he was completely allowed to feel that way—Jaebum felt horrible for not having much time for his first hybrid lately. So he was hoping to invite Mark up to his room for cuddling and likely… other stuff.

 

He was just drying his hands on a dish towel when Mark poked his head around the corner.

 

“Hyung? Are you busy?”

 

“Not anymore.” Jaebum turned. “I want to talk to you.”

 

“I want to talk to you too.”

 

“Your room or mine?” Jaebum asked.

 

“Yours, preferably?”

 

“Sure.” Jaebum held out his hand to Mark, flicking off the big lights in the kitchen, leaving it in the faint glow of the new decorations. “I wanted to say I’m really sorry for these past couple weeks. I was so focused on getting Jinyoung settled in… I’m sorry. I really am. You still mean the world to me.”

 

Mark let out a soft sigh. “I know, I  _know_ that, I just… sometimes…” He shook his head. “It sounds like I’m guilt-tripping you if I say this.”

 

“Say it,” Jaebum urged.  _I deserve it_.

 

“I just… I wonder if you’re getting sick of me. Sometimes. Because I’m boring. And I wonder… if you are starting to regret that 8,000,000 won. If you think my mom was right.” Mark shook his head again. “I’m sorry. I know that’s not fair of me. It’s so not fair of me. But I… I can’t help thinking it. Sometimes.”

 

Jaebum grabbed Mark’s shoulders and pushed him against the wall right outside of his bedroom. “Don’t you dare think that for an  _instant_ ,” he whispered harshly. “I could  _never_ get sick of you, how could I get sick of you?” Jaebum pressed a kiss to Mark’s hairline, to his nose, his cheek, his jaw. The overwhelming need to make sure Mark knew, surely and forever that Jaebum would never leave him was a little consuming. “You were worth it. You will always be worth it. I don’t regret a second.” Jaebum petted Mark’s ears and gave him a firm kiss on the mouth. “I don’t know how else to tell you that you’re perfect.” He dipped his head, kissing down Mark’s neck to his collarbone.

 

“I love you,” Mark blurted out.

 

“I love you, too,” Jaebum said without a tiny trace of hesitation. Mark gave a whine like he wasn’t expecting to hear it again or something— _that’s not okay._ “Love you so much, I’m not going to sell you off ever, don’t ever be scared of that. You’re not boring. I love you, Mark.”

 

"I've missed you," Mark murmured. Which was innocent enough, in and of itself, but Jaebum could've sworn Mark's voice dropped an octave when he added, "I've missed your cock."

 

"Fuck, Mark," Jaebum panted out. He would be a huge liar if he said his pants weren't forming a tent at the crotch. "Bedroom, go."

 

Mark rolled fluidly around the doorway and gracefully made his way to Jaebum's bed. 

 

"Remember the first time, after that lunch at that burger place?" Mark asked cheekily. 

 

"Of course I remember," Jaebum scoffed, hovering his body over Mark's so that their faces were only centimeters apart. 

 

"At that point, that was the best I'd ever felt." Mark ran his hands up and down Jaebum's torso, leaving something burning in their wake. "All because of you." 

 

"And now I got you all scared you would never feel that again?" Jaebum said. "Kitten, I'm so sorry."

 

Mark made a little mewling noise. "I've been practicing something for you... I don't know if you'll like it..."

 

"Of course I'll like it, it's you," Jaebum reassured him, giving him an encouraging kiss. 

 

Mark smiled wide, opened his mouth very slightly, and then let out a deep, vibrating hum from the back of his throat. 

 

It took Jaebum's mind a couple seconds to catch up with his body, because it was a really nice noise—and then it hit him— _Mark was fucking purring_. 

 

"Mark, holy shit," Jaebum breathed out. 

 

"You like it?" Mark asked shyly. 

 

“Like—” Jaebum spluttered. “ _Like—_  do it again."

 

Mark leaned up until his mouth was right next to Jaebum's ear, and then purred softly, gently grinding his hips up in the process. 

 

"That's my perfect kitten," Jaebum said, still utterly unbelieving. "You're incredible, baby, oh my god. You know you don't have to do all this crazy stuff to get my attention, right? I mean, this is great but all I could ever ask for is you."

 

"This was primarily for my entertainment," Mark said. "I like to see what I can do."

 

Jaebum laughed, bracing his hand against Mark's spine, and carefully sat back until Mark was nestled in his lap. 

 

"Can you fuck me like this?" Mark asked. "It's really cozy."

 

"Of course I can," Jaebum agreed immediately. "Can you reach the lube?"

 

Mark lay back and stretched his arm to the drawer, easily tugging it open and getting the lube.

 

"You're running low," he commented as he say up, handing the bottle over. 

 

"I know," Jaebum said. "Probably gift myself like ten new bottles for Christmas." He coated his index finger in lube. "Ass up a little." Mark lifted himself up and Jaebum used his other hand to support him. He helped Mark pull off his pants, and then pushed his finger inside him. 

 

Mark arched back with a soft gasp, and then started grinding down on Jaebum's finger. "I need more," he said. "I need your cock."

 

"I don't wanna hurt you, kitten," Jaebum said. "I can add another finger, though."

 

"Yes," Mark moaned, letting Jaebum have his hand back so he could add more lube. 

 

Soon, Mark was fucking himself on three of Jaebum's fingers as Jaebum prepped his dick, making sure the lube was evenly spread, pants cast somewhere in the floor behind him. 

 

"I'm ready, I'm ready," Mark said. "Jaebum."

 

Jaebum pulled Mark close to him, extracting his fingers and helping Mark carefully lower onto his cock. Mark's head was tipped forward, strands of sweaty hair blocking his face. "Tell me when I can move," Jaebum prompted softly. 

 

"Move," Mark hissed back. 

 

Jaebum snapped his hips up, arms wrapped around Mark's waist to keep him in place. Mark's head tilted back, as Jaebum saw his mouth open in a silent scream of pleasure. He sucked kisses into Mark's chest, flicked his tongue over his nipples and watched him moan. 

 

"Can you purr for me, kitten?" Jaebum asked. 

 

The first few seconds were stuttering, but then Mark unfailing produced the gorgeous low vibration. 

 

"Fuck," Jaebum groaned. "Fuck, Mark, how are you always so perfect?" Mark continued to purr, but he was smiling now. "Shit, I'm not gonna last, baby, I'm sorry, you're too much for me."

 

Mark wrapped his arms around Jaebum's neck, still purring, and pressed his forehead to Jaebum's. Mark gripped Jaebum's hair, and his purring broke off with a gasp. "I'm close too—it's fine—I love you—”

 

"I love you too, Mark, I love you," Jaebum said, toes and torso curling. “I—fuck!"

 

Mark let go of Jaebum's hair with one hand to reach down and stroke himself. He kissed Jaebum sloppily, teeth hitting teeth. Jaebum closed his eyes, thrusting fast and deep. He felt Mark's come hit his stomach, and he let go, shuddering and groaning. 

 

"I missed you," Mark repeated hazily. "Don't leave, we can clean up in the morning. Just... Stay. Sleep."

 

"Okay." Jaebum scooted them both up towards the pillows, pulling the blankets over them, pulling Mark close. He peppered kisses to the back of Mark's neck. "I love you so much."

 

"I love you too," Mark murmurs sleepily, barely intelligible. Jaebum let himself get washed into the welcome arms of sleep. 


	13. Chapter 13

The week passed peacefully. Each of them found time to go out and do shopping, careful to find a hiding place for all their presents in their rooms. 

 

They had a snowball fight the next Tuesday after getting the tree set up. It ended up being Jackson and Jaebum against Mark, Bambam, and Jinyoung. Jackson and Jaebum definitely won. 

 

They went inside for hot cocoa and Jinyoung got a fire started and they cuddled and shared kisses and laughter. Everything was so soft and sweet, and for the first time in a long time for all of them, Christmas actually felt like Christmas. On Christmas Eve, Jaebum found himself looking forward to opening presents the next day. There were multicolor boxes scattered under the tree with different degrees of quality in wrapping jobs, and each stocking was stuffed with wonderful things. 

 

_'Twas the night before Christmas_

_and all through the house_

_not a creature was stirring_

_not even a mouse._

_One hybrid was missing_

_but he was there in their hearts,_

_the rest slept soundly,_

_excited for Christmas fun to start._

_Two kittens, a horse_

_and a normal human too,_

_dreaming of happiness_

_they once never knew._

_They are all tucked in bed_

_what an adorable sight!_

_So a merry Christmas to all,_

_and to all a good night~_

* * *

 

_Mark’s POV_

Jaebum was already gone Christmas morning when the rest of them woke. He did, however, leave a very sweet note on the kitchen table for them.

 

“'Morning, kids,'” Jinyoung read aloud. “‘I left breakfast for you guys in the oven. Jackson and I should be home in time for dinner—Jinyoung knows how to make that, so we should be fine. Please feel free to open your presents before we get home if you want to. Thinking of you always. Merry Christmas! Love, Jaebum.’ Well, it’ll only be a few hours. Ah, he baked us a crumble for breakfast!”

 

“Jaebum keeps saying he’s not a good cook,” Mark said with a laugh as Jinyoung pulled it out of the oven. “He’s such a liar!”

 

“I think we should wait on the presents,” Bambam said as he got out plates. Mark wanted to sweep him into a hug, beaming in pride. Bambam was impatient and sometimes a little bullheaded, but he was still very smart.

 

“I think you’re right,” Jinyoung said approvingly. “It’ll be more fun if we open them all together.”

 

“Do you want help with dinner, Jinyoung?” Mark asked. He knew the hours would pass faster if he was doing something. “We should all make it together.”

 

“Yeah, Jaebum has ham in the fridge, and we’re going to make green beans and mashed potatoes, and I think he bought pie, too,” Jinyoung said. “It should be pretty easy.” He chewed on a mouthful of crumble thoughtfully. “I think… I’ll deal with the ham, Bambam can mash the potatoes in a pot, and Mark, can you wash the green beans and put butter on them and put them in a casserole?” The other two nodded. “Then we’re set. And then we, I dunno, can watch TV, or talk, or play games until they come home.”

 

“I might go back to sleep,” Bambam said. “I’ve been so tired lately, I have no idea why.”

 

“That’s fine, but you are going to finish making dinner first,” Jinyoung said, pointing his fork at the youngest in a threatening way.

 

“I know, I know!” Bambam said quickly.

 

Even though they had hours to make the dinner, Jinyoung rushed them anyway. It was a fun kind of chaos, with Jinyoung snatching things out from under Mark and Bambam’s noses directly after they’d completed them. Before long, everything was in the oven and they were all cleaning up the mess they left behind. Bambam said he was going to go nap, and left Mark and Jinyoung in the kitchen, snacking on candy canes. 

 

“So you talked to Jaebum?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Yeah,” Mark replied. “It went well. He already knew; I think he was also planning on talking to me.”

 

“That’s good,” Jinyoung said, snapping off the point he’d made on the candy cane and biting down. “Jackson and Jaebum slept together… Tuesday night? Yeah, because Wednesday morning…”

 

“What?” Mark said. That was news to him. Was he just unobservant?

 

“Sorry, I… I dunno, I feel like you could smell it too, if you tried. There’s a certain smell people have afterwards—I mean, you smell like the other person, obviously,” Jinyoung explained.

 

“I’ve never really… tried to use being a hybrid to my advantage like that.”

 

“Understandable,” Jinyoung said. “Most people are like that—try to do anything to kill the hybrid part of them… I’ve seen kids who’ve tried to claw off their own ears or tails. Dog hybrids sometimes try and eat chocolate, hoping it’ll poison the dog part of them. And then… on the other side, ones that try to kill the human part. That’s the problem with being a little bit of two things, right? You don’t really fit in either category. So you feel like you have to choose one just to belong.” Jinyoung shook his head. “It’s really sad.”

 

“We’re lucky we have each other,” Mark said softly.

 

“We are.” Jinyoung looked up. “I mean, what are the odds we all ended up together, right? Say Jaebum chose a different university—suppose any of us chose a different university.”

 

“Suppose I didn’t get sick that night and Jaebum didn’t go out to get supplies,” Mark added. “He would’ve never found Bambam.”

 

“Suppose I never got lost on my first day. I would’ve never bumped into you,” Jinyoung said, nudging Mark’s shoulder.

 

“It’s really incredible,” Mark agreed. He looked out the window. “It sometimes seems so surreal to me.”

 

“How did Jaebum find you, exactly?”

 

“We’re in the same macroeconomics class. We were doing a project, and Jaebum chose me as his partner.” Mark laughed. “I was scared of him—I mean, he has earrings, his resting face is just on the disgust side of Willing To Fight…” Jinyoung laughed aloud. “Anyway, he told me not to be afraid, and then asked if I’d been claimed yet. I said no, and he offered the bracelet to me. Obviously I couldn’t say no. So after class, he called my mom. Oh my god, he was so angry at her. As soon as he hung up, he was like, ‘I just can’t believe… I’m so sorry we were talking about you like that.’ Like I was an object for sale, I think he meant. His demeanor  _totally_ changed when he called his own mom, and it was then I realized, ‘okay, maybe he really is genuinely nice.’ And I was right. So I moved in with him that night basically, and—oh!” Mark laughed again.

 

“What?” Jinyoung asked, completely engrossed.

 

“I had a nightmare that night, and screamed and woke both of us up. He came charging down the stairs, burst through my door—for a second, I thought he was mad at me for waking him.” Mark shrugged. “I mean, what else was I supposed to think, right? I don’t think I’d met very many people like him before. I flung myself down at his feet to beg forgiveness—” Jinyoung let out a soft giggle. “And he pulled me up so we were eye to eye, and just—pulled me into his chest and rubbed my back and told me it was okay, ‘I’m not mad, see? I’m not mad… are you okay?’ And then he said I could sleep in his bed with him so that I wouldn’t be alone.”

 

“He’s so forward, oh my god,” Jinyoung snorted.

 

“I honestly think he was just being nice,” Mark said, laughing too. “But yeah, I guess in retrospect, he’s pretty forward.”

 

“So when did he meet your parents?” Jinyoung asked, breaking off another piece of candy cane.

 

“After a couple days. His mom came in a company car to pick us up, and then we went to my house, where we met up with Jaebum’s dad.”

 

“Ah, Mr. Im is so cool,” Jinyoung said. “I haven’t seen him for years, I wonder what he’ll think?”

 

“Probably laugh and treat you like a son,” Mark said. “He told me to let him know if Jaebum was mean to me, which seemed so laughable by then. He’d been nothing but kind to me ever since I met him. So we went in, and my mom kept saying the price they were offering was too high, but finally they settled on one, and told me to go pack. Jaebum came with.

 

“He was  _fuming_ , I’d never seen him so mad. He hugged me and told me I was worth so much more and then helped me pack. We left, and my mom watched us go from the door. She said…” Mark trailed off. It was kind of hard to talk about, still. “She said thank you to them, to Jaebum and his family, for taking me away. Jaebum reached out for me and pulled me in to his side. And… I’ll never forget this, and this is how I know Jaebum’s mother is one of the most wonderful women on Earth… she turned, and said in this aggressively serene tone of voice, ‘Thank you for your son.’”

 

Jinyoung smiled, closing his eyes. “That sounds like Mrs. Im,” he whispered. “She always knows what to say, how to say it.”

 

“Right? Because she said the same thing to  _Jackson’s_ parents, but in a different way—I dunno, but my mom looked so stunned. I think… I mean, she always didn’t really see me as… human. So the word  _son_ , that’s not really how she thought of me exactly.” Jinyoung leaned his head against Mark’s shoulder. “Maybe then she realized the magnitude of what she’d done. Maybe not. But either way, it was far too late. And I don’t regret it at all. If she does, I dunno, that’s what she deserves.”

 

“Damn right,” Jinyoung said. He kissed Mark’s cheek, and Mark smelled cool peppermint. 

 

“Of course, I started crying in the car. Jaebum held me and told me that he was never going to do that to me, sell me off for a bit of money, not matter what. And then he asked me what my favorite food was. Which was another thing—I don’t think my mom even knew what my favorite food is! She never asked. But Jaebum did.” Mark smiled a little bit. “And so we went to get burgers.”

 

“Ah, Jaebum mentioned this really briefly to me. That one of the waitresses there kicked you guys out because you’re a hybrid.”

 

“Yeah. We’d finished eating and Jaebum had gone to bathroom and she came up to me and started yelling. Jaebum stormed us out of there and once we were back on the sidewalk, further away from that place, he stopped and told me none of what she was saying was true, and that I needed to believe I was good, that I was enough. He asked me to trust him, and I did. And then he kissed me.”

 

Jinyoung smacked his hands on the counter loudly, jumping and spinning in a circle, clearly trying to hold in a yell. “I’m sorry, but oh my  _god_ this is too cute.”

 

Mark laughed. “Yeah, I don’t remember exactly what he said, but somehow we ended up on his bed back here… and, well. Yeah. That’s basically it. He’s never stopped reminding me how much he cares about me, how much he thinks I’m beautiful.”

 

“Too cute,” Jinyoung repeated. “My god. What did the waitress even say?”

 

“Ah, you know. The usual.” Mark gesticulated randomly. “No one wants a cat. Animals aren’t allowed human food. Waste of airspace. Scum. All that.”

 

“I hope she got fired.”

 

“We’ll never know. Jaebum refuses to go back.” Mark laughed. “He said, ‘A place that hires people like that does  _not_ deserve our money.’ I was like, ‘I mean they have good burgers…’ But obviously he didn’t care about that.”

 

“‘I mean, they have good burgers’? What kind of argument is that?” Jinyoung asked, mostly teasing. “When such a controversial moral issue is on the line, how dare you think of quality of food!” He grabbed Mark around the waist, tickling him. Mark let out a loud laugh, trying to push him off. “I’m disappointed in you, hyung!”

 

Mark gasped out laughter, trying to tickle back. Jinyoung stumbled backwards, and fell into a chair, Mark ending up in his lap. He stopped tickling Mark and just held him, face pressed to Mark’s back. Mark’s giggles subsided, and he took Jinyoung’s hands in his own. He turned so that his back was leaning against the table and he was sitting sideways on Jinyoung’s lap.

 

Jinyoung stretched up and kissed Mark’s jaw. “You guys are the best Christmas present I could’ve ever asked for,” he said softly.

 

“You too,” Mark said back. “We all… fit. So well, together, as a family. It’s lucky.”

 

“It’s like fate,” Jinyoung said, pulling Mark closer to him. Mark linked his hands behind Jinyoung’s neck.

 

“Want to know a secret?” Mark asked. “Well, it’s not really a secret. But I always kept thinking about that cute art student I met my first day of senior year. I’m so glad we bumped into each other again, and I got your name.”

 

“Want to know a secret?” Jinyoung replied, “Me too.” Mark bent his head and kissed Jinyoung softly on the lips. 

 

The stove dinged.

 

“What’s that?” Mark asked standing and peering over the counter. 

 

“Ah, I have to turn the temperature down,” Jinyoung said, hurrying to the other side of the counter as the stove gave another impatient beep. “Yes, I know, I’m coming, calm down!” 

 

Mark giggled. “How much longer until it’s ready?”

 

“Only a couple hours.”

 

“Will Jaebum and Jackson be home by then?”

 

Jinyoung gave him a look. “Mark, it’s just past two.”

 

“What?” Mark jumped, looking around for the clock. “No way.” 

 

“I mean, we got up at like ten or eleven, had breakfast, and took over an hour to put dinner in the oven. And we’ve been talking for a while.”

 

“Ah, two hours though…” Mark sighed. “What to do?”

 

Jinyoung gave him a different look.

 

“Bambam is  _sleeping_!” Mark admonished half-heartedly.

 

Jinyoung laughed. “I’m sure that hasn’t stopped you before.”

 

Mark glowered. ”I’m not gonna say  _no_ ,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Maybe not in either of our rooms, though, because that’s definitely going to wake him up.”

 

“Not the worst way to wake up,” Jinyoung said cheekily.

 

“Yes it is!” Mark said, appalled. “Upstairs, in the living room, perhaps?”

 

“Ooh, good idea.” Jinyoung turned for the stairs. “Is there lube in there?”

 

“Yes, I put it there myself,” Mark replied.

 

Jinyoung grabbed Mark’s hand and tugged him along, giving him a soft kiss on the forehead. “It’ll be okay,” Jinyoung said. “If you’re still worried. But you can always say no.”

 

“I’m not going to say no,” Mark repeated, kissing back.

 

Jinyoung hugged him to his side and they finished climbing the stairs together. “Do you like to top or bottom?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Usually bottom,” Mark said, trying to be matter of fact. 

 

“Fine with me.” Jinyoung gave Mark another kiss, deeper than the others, and something like a spark took root at the top of Mark’s spine and travelled downward. “I wanted to kiss you the first time I saw you,” Jinyoung confessed. Mark realized he was a little breathless. “You have a really beautiful mouth.”

 

Mark’s cat ears twitched, and he leaned in until his  _beautiful_ mouth was right next to Jinyoung’s ear. “Some people say it’s even more beautiful… stretched around a cock.”

 

Jinyoung gave a little gasp. “I set myself up for that one, didn’t I?” he asked shakily. Mark just gave an innocent giggle to play with him, like he didn’t know what he’d just said. “I thought you were the pure one.”

 

“Nah, that’s probably Jackson,” Mark said, hands roaming lower. “He and I are both Chinese, yeah? But he has no idea what any of the euphemisms are. It’s hilarious.” He pushed Jinyoung’s shirt up slightly, felt how hot his skin was. “By the way, I don’t really have a gag reflex, so you’re all good.” Mark carefully dropped to his knees, the soft carpet cushioning his short fall.

 

“When I say stop, stop,” Jinyoung warned as Mark fumbled with the drawstring of his pants. “I want to actually fuck you, and I really don’t think I have two rounds in me today.”

 

“Duly noted.”

 

Jinyoung gently swatted Mark’s hands away and worked on untying the strings of his sweats himself. Mark stood, and carefully backed Jinyoung up until his thighs were resting against the arm of the couch. Then, he got back down on his knees and waited, eyes on the ground, grinning a tiny bit when Jinyoung grabbed a fistful of Mark's hair (careful to avoid his ears) and used it to tilt his head up.

 

Immediately, Jinyoung’s grip on his hair relaxed. He brushed his hand over Mark’s head, gently rubbing out any pain he might’ve caused. “Let me know if you need to stop anything, okay?” he said softly. 

 

Mark looked into his eyes, warm eyes that belonged to a body that had known nothing but hate and still knew to do nothing but love. Mark nodded and nuzzled into Jinyoung’s inner thigh. “I’m okay,” Mark assured him. “I want you.”

 

Jinyoung laughed, and allowed Mark to tug his sweats down, pulling them all the way off and accidentally taking his socks with them. Jinyoung was just in a t-shirt and boxers and Mark had never once seen Jinyoung show so much skin. As a result of not showing a lot of skin, Jinyoung’s skin was incredibly smooth and pale. Mark pressed kisses to Jinyoung’s hips before carefully pulling off Jinyoung’s boxers to free his dick, which had been beginning to strain against the fabric. Jinyoung was smaller than Jaebum, perhaps, but still not  _small._ Mark gave an experimental lick, flattening his tongue on the underside. Encouraged by Jinyoung’s moan, and the way his head pitched forward, bangs brushing his eyes, Mark relaxed his jaw and sank forward, first moving back and forth and then just letting Jinyoung fuck his mouth. It was gentle and hardly even hurt, as long as Mark didn’t try to close his throat. He began to suck as best he could, swirling his tongue when he had the room.

 

“Fuck— Mark, stop, stop,” Jinyoung panted out raggedly. Mark immediately sat back on his heels, licking his abused lips. Jinyoung took a steadying breath and rolled over onto the couch, reaching for the lube hidden behind a stack of books in the small coffee table. “C’mere.” Mark stood eagerly and walked around the corner of the couch. “Pants off, underwear too.” Mark shedded them quickly, his long shirt falling halfway down his thighs anyway. "On my lap,” Jinyoung said almost sweetly. Mark straddled his thighs, facing Jinyoung and legs bent so that his feet reached back towards Jinyoung’s knees. Mark squirmed on Jinyoung’s lap, trying to grind down on him, but Jinyoung stilled his hips with his hands. “Hey, stop that.”

 

Mark pouted, but his mouth quickly re-formed into an “o” as Jinyoung suddenly pushed a finger into his hole. Mark’s hands found a tight grip on Jinyoung’s shoulders, and he let out an involuntary groan. Jinyoung tilted his head under Mark’s, catching his lips, pressing soft kisses against them as he began to work his finger in and out of Mark. Mark moaned softly into Jinyoung’s mouth, still keenly aware that Bambam was sleeping just the floor below them. 

 

Jinyoung added a second finger, keeping his body close to Mark’s. He began scissoring him open, and Mark started pushing back down, shifting his hands down until they were pressed against Jinyoung’s thighs instead so he could balance better. Jinyoung added a third finger, beginning to curl his fingers, rotating his wrist. Mark let him work, knowing he would find it eventually. He was right, because a few seconds later, he was arching off Jinyoung’s lap, his hand over his mouth, giving a muffled, “Fuck!”

 

He unwound from there—he always reached a threshold where something was loosened, and he started begging, “Please, Jinyoung, fuck me, want your cock—” and Jinyoung didn’t disappoint. He grabbed Mark’s hips and flipped them over turning also so that Mark’s head was resting just before the arm of the couch. Jinyoung pulled off his shirt in one fluid motion. He leaned over the side of the couch, reaching for the lube. Mark watched him with half-lidded eyes, ass clenching around air, feeling increasingly desperate.

 

Jinyoung hovered over him, ghosting kisses along his cheek and jaw. “Are you good?” 

 

Mark nodded, biting his lip. “Yes, yes, yes,” he said. “Please, I want you, I wanna come.”

 

Jinyoung smiled and pushed into him, kissing away the pain from the stretch. He started slow, letting Mark get used to him, running his hands down and up his body. He grabbed a fistful of Mark’s shirt, tugging it up, and leaning down to kiss his stomach. His hands traced over the delicate shape of Mark’s ribs; Mark’s eyes traced over the lines of Jinyoung’s collarbones and hips. 

 

Mark watched Jinyoung’s face, too, decidedly clenching around him, which earned him an extra deep thrust that hit his prostate. Mark moaned, loudly, before he could stop himself. He immediately slapped his hand over his mouth. “Shit,” he mumbled against his hand. “I swear, if we wake Bambam up—” 

 

“Sucks for Bambam,” Jinyoung said breathlessly. “I am not stopping now.”

 

“Don’t,” Mark agreed, curling his torso up to steal a kiss. “I’ll be really mad if you do.”

 

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Jinyoung held Mark close and scooted him backwards slightly so that he was half-resting against the arm of the sofa. He pinned Mark’s wrists next to Mark's shoulders and sped up his thrusts, moaning each time a wave of pleasure swept his body. 

 

“Fuck, fuck,  _fuck,_ ” Mark whimpered out, turning his head to the side and closing his eyes.  _I hope I’m not gonna be held responsible for the next things I say_ , he thought to himself. He had no idea what they were going to be, only knew that it was going to be needy and embarrassing and basically whatever it would take to get Jinyoung to go harder and make him come. “Faster, harder, wanna come—ah!”

 

Jinyoung didn’t look terribly athletic, at least not in comparison to Jaebum or Jackson, but he somehow picked up the pace, ramming into Mark deeper and harder, hitting his prostate almost every thrust.

 

Mark let out a short scream, wrists twisting in Jinyoung’s grasp. “Please, I’m so close, please touch me, I want—I  _need_ —” 

 

Jinyoung let go of one of Mark’s wrists and reached between them for Mark’s dick. Mark kept his hand in place even though it had been freed. He screwed his eyes shut tighter, a mixture of curses and moans falling across his lips. He clenched down around Jinyoung in earnest and didn’t let go, hoping to help him get off faster with the increased friction.

 

“God, Mark,” Jinyoung rasped out, tugging on the smaller boy’s cock in rhythm with his thrusts. “You’re so, so pretty.”

 

For an instant, Mark considered purring for him, but he held back. That was something he did for Jaebum and Jaebum only. He was Jaebum’s kitten—Jinyoung didn’t call him that. So he just moaned, long and pretty loud, instead. “Jinyoung,” he gasped. “Jinyoung, I’m gonna come, I—fuck!”

 

“Come for me, I’m so close, too—can you come for me?” Jinyoung sped up his hand, thrusts become increasingly erratic.

 

Mark arched upwards, ass clenching spastically as thick come shot into the air. Jinyoung groaned and Mark felt something warm fill his ass. Jinyoung kept fucking him, more gently, through both of their orgasms. Then he pulled out, and pushed himself backwards, collapsing against the opposite arm.

 

“Merry Christmas,” he said weakly, and Mark giggled. His wrists were kind of sore. and he was sweaty and the come that was slowly leaking out of his ass was sticky and uncomfortable, but it wasn’t the worst feeling in the world. He grinned to himself.


	14. Chapter 14

_Jaebum’s POV_

Jackson arrived at the house before he did. He saw the other’s shoes by the door when he first walked in.

 

A wave of delicious food smells almost knocked him over as soon as he closed the door. He heard loud discussion in the kitchen, and quickly made his way to the source of the noise.

 

“Hyung!” Jackson said. 

 

“Hello, everyone.” Jaebum accepted Jackson’s hug, and a kiss from Bambam. “How was everyone’s day? The food smells amazing.”

 

“Thanks.” Jinyoung pulled the ham out of the oven and carefully set it out on the table. “It wasn’t too hard. Bambam and Mark helped me and we had it done in no time.” Jaebum realized they were all wearing santa hats. Just as he was realizing this, Jackson reached out and shoved one on Jaebum’s head, too.  _Oh._  


 

“We waited to open presents, by the way,” Mark said from his seat on a stool, munching on some peppermint bark he had found on the counter. “It’s more fun to do it all together.”

 

“You guys are sweet,” Jaebum said with a smile. “Do you need any help, Jirongie?”

 

“No, I’m good. It’s just the green beans.” He stood. “Oh, actually—could you set the oven to like, maybe 150 degrees, and then put the pie in?”

 

Jaebum nodded. “On bake?”

 

“Yep.” 

 

“Pie!” Bambam said, extracting it from the fridge and handing it over to Jaebum.

 

“Ack, Jackson, get  _off_ ,” Jaebum heard Mark complain. He looked up and saw Jackson practically slung over Mark’s back, stealing bites of chocolate and nearly folding the skinnier boy in half. Mark, despite his words and tone, was laughing brightly.

 

Jaebum grinned and leaned against the counter. “My days would be so boring without all of you,” he said fondly. “I mean, my family is  _great_ , but… maybe my mom was right. It was lonely before.”

 

“Love you, too, hyung,” Bambam said softly, hugging him and nuzzling softly into his chest.

 

“Dinner’s ready. It’s gonna get cold,” Jinyoung said. “Jackson, stop crushing Mark, I don’t want any of you suffocating on Christmas.”

 

“Okay,  _Mom_ ,” Jackson said, grabbing one last bite of peppermint bark before skipping over to take his seat at the table. “This looks really, really good,” he added before Jinyoung could get offended about anything else.

 

“Speaking of,” Mark said, taking his seat as well as Bambam and Jaebum made their way to the table, too. “Jaebum, the crumble you made was absolutely delicious.”

 

Jaebum felt himself blush faintly. “You think so?”

 

“Absolutely,” Jinyoung dished some ham onto Jaebum’s plate. 

 

“I have another question,” Jackson announced as everyone began to dig in. “What are we supposed to wear to the party?”

 

“It’s more or less pretty formal,” Jaebum said. “So, a suit. No, Bambam, no crazy jackets, no heels, and Jackson, no snapbacks.”

 

“What about colorful suits?”

 

“Maybe like dark blue, or dark red, or dark, dark green—I wouldn’t push it past that, though. Again, this is for my dad’s clients, and they’re all old, often conservative, and some of them really do not like hybrids. We don’t want to give them an easy reason to cause trouble. They only buy from my dad because he’s friendly and offers the best.” Jaebum sighed. “I’m not trying to be a hard ass, I just want you guys to be safe.”

 

“We understand,” Jinyoung said softly.

 

“It’s okay,” Bambam added. “Really. Especially since I’m not legal.”

 

“Speaking of which, I did tell them about you two—” Jaebum nodded at Jinyoung and Bambam. “Of course, they were concerned, but very willing to be flexible. Obviously, they were delighted, Jinyoung, to hear that we were reunited and that you are now safe. My mom actually started crying when I told her about you, Bambam—she really wants to meet you. So, yeah, you’re all absolutely coming to the party.”

 

“Um, another thing?” Jackson half raised his hand. “I don’t own a suit.”

 

“Neither do I,” Bambam said.

 

“I do, so don’t worry about me.” Jinyoung leaned back in his chair.

 

“How about we go shopping?” Jaebum suggested. “Even if you already have a suit. It’ll be fun to come along.”

 

“Won’t people see?”

 

“Isn’t it going to be expensive?”

 

“Who’s gonna sell suits to hybrids?”

 

“Okay, calm down, I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t have solid answers to all of those questions.” Jaebum put down his fork. “My dad is really good friends with a guy who sells nice suits—you know JYP Formal Wear, right? My dad did him a favor when they were younger, so now we get discounts. They’re very select, so there’s a special garage away from the street to park at, and an elevator that goes straight into the shop. Only members can enter, and there are a few guards around because the suits are pretty expensive. However, with the discount, it’s quite affordable, even for people who don’t won companies. A couple of his suits are a really worthwhile investment. They look nice, they last long, and you guys are going to be hanging around me a lot anyway, so you’re going to need them.”

 

“And he’s okay with… selling to hybrids?” Bambam asked meekly.

 

“My dad would not be close friends with him if he wasn’t,” Jaebum assured all of them. “He’s really, really nice. He told me if I ended up not working for my father, I could go be a model for him.”

 

“Ooh, you  _could,_ though!” Mark said. “That would be so cool!”

 

“But publicity,” Jaebum pointed out. “And lots of makeup and posing. I dunno, I’m pretty set with working for Im Corp. Actually, funny story—he contacted my dad when Jinyoung and I were in school together and asked if we wanted to model together—under the title  _JJ Project_. We actually almost did, but we never finalized it, and then I ended up moving.”

 

“How’s Minseung-noona?” Jinyoung asked. “She’s home now, right?”

 

“Yeah.” Jaebum laughed. “You ask now because you remember she used to model for JYP’s women’s line for a few years there?”

 

“Yeah, do you guys remember the news that stirred?  _A hybrid model, put as the lead face of the campaign and not as another random prop? How radical!_ I was so pleased,” Jinyoung said.

 

“Yeah, I saw that!” Mark said. “I  _knew_  I knew your sister from something.”

 

“Yep, that was Minnie.” Jaebum rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s always been good at—well, everything, but stuff like that especially.”

 

“I think it’s really cool he lets hybrids in,” Bambam said. “I didn’t hear about this—he must be nice.”

 

“He is,” Jaebum agreed. “Although I’m sure part of it is just that he likes to cause a stir.” They all laughed at that.

 

“Is everyone finished eating?” Jinyoung said after a moment. “There’s still pie, remember.”

 

“I have a separate pie stomach,” Bambam said with a eye roll. “Don’t even worry.”

 

“That’s… not anatomically correct,” Jackson said, but it was a half-hearted protest. Jinyoung just laughed and got up to retrieve the pie while Jaebum collected the dishes and put them in the sink.

 

After enjoying the delicious pie, Bambam dragged them all out to the living room, insisting they could deal with the dishes later.

 

“Presents are like the most important part of Christmas,” he said. “We’re not going to wait. I won’t allow it!”

 

They let Bambam open his presents first. He reaches for a poorly wrapped box, carefully undoing the wrapping paper. He found a short card from Jaebum. Jaebum felt his heart jump into his throat, suddenly nervous that Bambam wouldn’t like his gift. 

 

“Wah!!” Bambam gasped and sat back on his heels. “Jaebum-hyung, how did you know?”

 

“I always see you looking at them in that one magazine,” Jaebum said. “I figured you would want them.”

 

They were a pair of sleek black ankle boots with a three-inch heel. “Are you sure I can’t wear them to the party?” Bambam said, modeling them up and down the living room for everyone.

 

“I’m afraid not,” Jaebum said regretfully. “They do look really good on you, Bam.”

 

“Thanks,” he replied cutely, sitting back down and reaching for the next box. It was rather small, but wrapped neatly, with a card on top, from Mark. Inside were a pair of earrings. “These are so cute! Thanks, Mark-hyung!” He carefully set his second gift aside and reached for a soft, lumpy package. 

 

“I didn’t mark those, that one’s from me,” Jackson informed Bambam as he peeled off a piece of tape.

 

“Hats… gloves… and a scarf—did you make these?” Bambam asked, surprised. Jackson nodded. Jaebum stared in mild shock.  _Jackson knits?_ They were really good too, soft and fashionable, without a stitch out of place. “Is this why you’re always grabbing my hands and holding them and measuring them against yours? So you would know what size to make?” He pulled on the gloves. “They fit really well.”

 

“I mean—no, I like holding hands with people—but also, yeah, it was useful,” Jackson explain stutteringly.

 

“You’re such a good knitter,” Jinyoung said, running the scarf through his hands, a note of puzzlement in his voice. “I’m impressed.”

 

“Thank you,” Jackson said, blushing.

 

Bambam reached for his last package. It a stack of three: one small rectangular box, one largish square box, and what looked like a very, very thin rectangular box on the bottom. 

 

The first one ended up being a nice pair of earbuds. “You keep stealing mine,” Jinyoung said, laughing when Bambam gave him a look.

 

“I always give them back,” he argued, but moved on to the next box. It turned out to be a cute neck pillow with a Neko Atsume face on one end. Bambam immediately put it around his neck. He opened the last package. It was a manila envelope, and inside—“Jinyoung, really?” Bambam whined. “The application?”

 

“Hey, you better get started on it,” Jinyoung said. 

 

“I’m not educated and I’m a hybrid.”

 

“You’re good at drawing,” Jaebum pointed out, trying to be helpful. “You could totally be an art student.”

 

“You’ll have to wait until you’re birthday before you can really start the process,” Mark added. “But I bet you’ll get in."

 

“We’ll help you,” Jackson assured him.

 

“Keep it safe for now, okay?” Jinyoung said.

 

“Why are you all parenting me? I didn’t sign up for this,” Bambam complained good-naturedly as he carefully resealed the envelope and set it aside. “Okay, who’s next?”

 

“Let’s go in opposite age order,” Jaebum suggested. “Except, I’ll go last—but, yeah, Jinyoung, you go.”

 

Jinyoung reached for an oddly shaped package that Jaebum recognized as his. He tore the paper on it off—efficiently, but not violently. “What’s this?” he asked, holding up the small grey canister.

 

“Be careful, that’s pepper spray,” Jaebum said. “I figured it would be useful. Mark and Jackson know how to do hand-to-hand combat, that’s why I didn’t get it for them. It has a range of like 5 meters or something.”

 

“Yikes.” Jinyoung set it down. “I’ll practice outside. Thank you.” He pulled the other item out of the wrapping paper and gasped. “I’ve been searching for this!”

 

“You always used to have a little bottle with you, didn’t you?” It was a deliciously scented lotion that Jaebum remembered Jinyoung always having. 

 

“Where’d you find it? I could’ve sworn they didn’t make it anymore!” Jinyoung said.

 

“It’s because that new scent is really popular, so stores are only selling that now… but I got some help from my dad’s secretary, and we found it.” Jaebum smiled. 

 

“I can’t believe you remembered,” Jinyoung said, amazed.

 

“Of course I remembered,” Jaebum said, poking him and pretending to be offended. 

 

“Yah, Jaebum, stop,” Mark said, chucking his gift to Jinyoung at the boy. “I want you to open mine!”

 

“It’s soft,” Jinyoung said, separating from Jaebum and squishing the package experimentally. He opened it and gave a gasp. Inside was a royal blue scarf made of a soft, warm material. Jinyoung ran it through his hands. “Mark, this is so cute! It’s so soft! I love it!”

 

“I can’t believe I’m  _helping_ your scarf game,” Mark said teasingly. “We’re supposed to be warring over who has the best scarves,” he added in explanation for the benefit of the other three. “It’s  _obviously_ me.”

 

Jinyoung shook his head, snuggling the scarf closer to his chest, giving Mark his best (and very effective) puppy eyes. “Thanks, Mark-hyung.”

 

Bambam pushed an envelope apologetically towards Jinyoung. “I haven’t been out of the house—I mean, it’s not safe for me go venture out a lone, and I have to be alone when buying presents—anyway, I just made cards.”

 

“These are perfect,” Jinyoung said earnestly, breaking the seal of the envelope. “Wah, did you draw this?” 

 

“Yeah,” Bambam said, nodding shyly. 

 

“You’re totally an art student!” Jinyoung showed the front of the card to everyone. It was a neatly drawn Christmas tree, with  _Jinyoung_ written in swirly, pretty font at the bottom. He opened the card and scanned it quickly. Jaebum watched him, as he pressed a hand over his heart and got the really sentimental, might-cry smile on his face. “Bambam-ah…” He closed the card and slipped it back into the envelope, and held out his arms to the small boy. “Come here.” Bambam blushed and scooted over to Jinyoung, who pulled him into his lap. “You’re so cute, you’re so sweet. This is just as good of a present as anything, okay?” Bambam nodded, gave Jinyoung a quick kiss, and slid off his lap softly and onto the floor.

 

“I have one left, who is it? Jackson!” Jinyoung accepted the box that Jackson slid across the floor. “Chocolates? These look yummy.”

 

“It’s because—because, well, Jinyoung always cooks for us and obviously I can’t cook as well as him so I can’t make up for it that way—but I wanted to get something food-related to sort of—try and pay him back—I don’t know, I know it’s kind of impersonal,” Jackson blurted out.

 

“No, no!” Jinyoung said. “You put lots of thought into it. And they’re really good chocolates. It’s really cute, Jackson. Yah, Bambam!” 

 

Bambam had stolen a chocolate.

 

“Jackson next,” Jaebum said, pushing his present for Jackson towards the boy.

 

“This is a big package, hyung…” Jackson said uncertainly. “Please tell me it wasn’t expensive…"

 

“It’s just because you have broad shoulders,” Jaebum said playfully.

 

Jackson took his time to unwrap it, trying to keep the wrapping paper undamaged. “A leather jacket! This looks cool!!” He held it up in front of himself.

 

“Jackson doesn’t need to look scarier,” Jinyoung said, laughing. “Don’t encourage him!”

 

“There’s something else,” Jaebum said, adding to Jinyoung, “I’m encouraging him. I’m doing it.” 

 

“In the name of all good things on this earth, why— _why_ —did you get Jackson brass knuckles?” Jinyoung spluttered. “I disapprove.”

 

“They’re cool,” Jaebum said with a shrug. “He could probably use them too.”

 

“Is it against the code of conduct to wear them to school?” Jackson asked, trying them on his right fist.

 

“Ah… I think only if you actually, you know, punch someone with them on,” Jaebum said. “But don’t hold me to that.”

 

Jinyoung rolled his eyes as he tossed his present to Jackson. “If you wear those to school, I will personally kick your ass.”

 

“I’m older than you!”

 

“I’m your second mom!”

 

Jackson didn’t reply, probably because he knew Jinyoung was right. “How about I can take them, I just can’t wear them?”

 

“Jesus, just forget it. Open your present.” Jinyoung chucked a small ball of used wrapping paper at Jackson’s head.

 

“Ooh, a sweater! Ah, this is cozy and cute~!” 

 

“I got that because you only buy yourself tanks and snapbacks,” Jinyoung said, eyes softening as he watched Jackson bury his face into it.

 

“Thanks, Jinyoung,” Jackson said, voice muffled by the sweater.

 

“You’re gonna get mad at me for this one then,” Mark said to Jinyoung as he passed a medium, square box to Jackson. 

 

“A snapback,” Jinyoung groaned.

 

Jackson smiled widely. “I appreciate it, Mark. He’s a hater.”

 

“I know.” Mark planted a kiss on Jackson’s hair.

 

“Here, hyung,” Bambam said, passing his card to him. Jackson scanned it quickly, pulling Bambam tightly into his side. 

 

“Love you, Bam,” he murmured softly into the younger boy’s jaw.

 

Mark stretched his arms out and wiggled his fingers for his presents. Jaebum laughed, and Jinyoung passed him his present. Inside was a leather jacket, different from Jackson’s, with a soft, furry inside.

 

“To make you look tough and keep you warm,” Jinyoung said, poking Mark’s cheek lightly. 

 

Next was Jaebum’s present. It was a 12-pack of banana milks, one of which Mark opened immediately, and then a silver ring. Mark grinned and slipped it onto his thumb. No one else could see, but the word  _kitten_ was engraved into it in slim lettering.

 

Jackson’s was in an envelope. Mark opened it, and pulled out a slip of paper. “‘You get to boss me around for one day’,” he read. “But I can do that anyway.”

 

“Well, not really,” Jackson said, laughing. “I promise I’ll do whatever you say without complaining for one whole day, though. And,” he added. “There’s something else in the envelope.”

 

“Oh!” It was a certificate to a really good burger place downtown. “We should all go together.”

 

“But then you’d be using it on all of us,” Jinyoung pointed out.

 

“I don’t wanna go alone,” Mark said. “We should go together.”

 

Bambam, of course, also got Mark a card, again with the cute Christmas tree drawing on the front. Mark gave him a warm hug of thanks.

 

“Jaebum! It’s your turn~” Jinyoung passed him the remaining boxes. “Open mine first.”

 

“You’re such a kid,” Jaebum said, but he complied, opening the small box to find a set of three black rings and a pair of matching earrings.

 

“Look at the ring in the middle.”

 

It read  _JJP_. Jaebum burst out laughing. “Oh, funny. That’s so funny that we were just talking about it too.”

 

“What?” Jackson asked.

 

“It says JJP. For the JJ Project thing.” Jaebum turned back to JInyoung. “I love it. I love this. Thank you.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Jaebum reached for the next box, which turned out to be a small box of really good beef. 

 

“I’m sorry it’s lame and it’s just food,” Jackson said hurriedly. “But I couldn’t think of anything material to get you because you could probably buy yourself the same thing only 10 times better, so…”

 

“Korean beef is a fantastic present,” Jaebum said, taking a bite. “This is awesome.”

 

Mark snickered when he handed Jaebum his gift. Jaebum gave him an eyebrow, and then covered his face with his hands when he opened it. Mark fell onto his back, his entire body shaking from laughter.

 

“You are such a child!” Jaebum said. “I can’t believe this. He got me scented condoms!”

 

“To be fair,” Mark gasped out. “They’re just stuff like cherry and lemon, okay?” He forced himself to sit up, and crawled over to the tree. “Besides—I got you a real present.” He pulled a different box out from behind the tree. “Here.”

 

Jaebum eyed the box skeptically, but it turned out to be a tin of peppermint bark. As Jackson stole a piece, Jaebum turned to the others. “Why am I getting so much food? Do I look like all I do is eat?”

 

“No, no, it’s because you’re too skinny!” Mark said.

 

“It’s okay to be a little chubby, too!” Jackson said at almost the same time. “See also: me!”

 

“You’re not chubby, don’t lie. You’re just really strong. You could probably bench Bambam,” Mark said.

 

“Anyone could bench Bambam, he probably barely weighs like 45 kilos if he was sopping wet,” Jackson said. “Sorry Bam.”

 

“It’s probably true,” Bambam conceded with a shrug. “I obviously didn’t get you food.” He handed Jaebum the card.

 

“Thanks.” Jaebum slipped his thumb under the flap and pulled out the card.

 

_Dear Jaebum-hyung,_

_I don’t know where I would be without you. You have saved my life, literally. You are kind and good. You took me in when you absolutely didn’t have to and I cannot thank you enough. Moreover, you don’t hold it over my head—you just let me be, and you love me and I don’t know why. I love you so much. Thank you thank you for everything. Have a wonderful Christmas._

_Lots and lots of love forever,_

_Your Bambam_

Jaebum looked up at Bambam. “You’re so sweet,” he said softly. “I love you, sweetie.”

 

Bambam squeaked and hugged Jaebum so tight his santa hat fell off. Jackson jumped on Jaebum’s other side, and they fell back onto the floor, cracking up. Mark and Jinyoung piled on top, and soon they were all laughing their heads off, giddy and loud. After a few minutes, they settled to soft, hiccup-y giggles, just breathing together and staring up at the lights on the tree and at each other, and smiling, only smiling. Jaebum, crushed under four other boys, felt like the luckiest person in the world.

 

* * *

 

“Okay, everyone!” Jaebum said, striding into the kitchen the next morning. “I just called JYP-hyung—well, his secretary—she said we can come by around one today. So, that’s in an hour, which means you need to finish eating and get cleaned up and ready to go by 12:30. My dad is sending a car for us. He says he can’t come, but of course I can buy suits for you four.”

 

“What about you?”

 

“I have a few already, I do not need another,” Jaebum said, waving Jinyoung off. “But we have to do it today, because they’ll need tailoring and then washing before the party—which is in, not counting today, three days.”

 

“On it, hyung!” Jackson said, quickly standing and taking used dishes to the sink. This prompted the others to do the same, and soon everyone was busy getting ready for a day out. It would be the first time Bambam had gone further than a few blocks from the house since the day Jaebum first took him in, so there was a definite air of excitement. 

 

They waited on the porch in the bright, cold sunlight, poking each other and giggling. Soon enough, a van pulled into their driveway. 

 

“I’ll take shotgun,” Jaebum said. “If you don’t mind.”

 

They all climbed in, Jackson and Bambam in the very back and Jinyoung and Mark in the middle. They began their journey downtown.

 

“Hey, hyung, what’s in the bag?” Bambam asked, pointing to the small gift bag that Jaebum was holding.

 

“It’s a gift for JYP-hyung,” Jaebum said. “I got him these vitamins my dad says he likes.”

 

“Why vitamins?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“It’s because if you are buying gifts for someone older than you, you want to buy them these kinds of medicines and things, as it shows you are wishing them a long and healthy life,” Jackson said.

 

“Why are you suddenly speaking so well?” Mark teased, twisting in his seat to face the younger boy. “Normally you have the speaking skills of a middle schooler.” 

 

“Why are you so mean?” Jackson replied, pouting.

 

“Hey, what about a light blue suit?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“I would advise not,” Jaebum said. “Dark blue would be fine.”

 

“Royal blue?”

 

“We’ll see.”

 

“That means no, doesn’t it?”

 

“No, it just depends on how exactly you define  _royal_ blue.”

 

“Royal blue doesn’t have a definition, it just  _is_.”

 

They continued along this kind of conversation until they reached the store. There, a guard came to greet them. The driver rolled down the window. “Hello, I’m here with Im Jaebum and his hybrids. He said he made an appointment for one o'clock?”

 

“You’re just on time,” the guard said with a nod. “Go ahead, I think the purple section has spots—that way you’ll be right next to the elevators.” He gave them a ticket to put on their dashboard so they wouldn’t get towed when they were inside.

 

They parked and quickly piled out of the car.

 

“Sir, would you like me wait here?” The driver asked.

 

“No, no, come up with us,” Jaebum insisted. “There’s a nice coffee shop inside, and the first cup is always on the house.” The driver nodded and locked the car. Together, they all filed into the elevator and ascended to the store.

 

J.Y. Park himself was waiting for them in the elevator lobby. Jaebum bowed and took his hand while the four hybrids quickly bowed multiple times behind him. “For you,” he added, pressing the handles of the gift bag into the businessman’s hands.

 

“Always so thoughtful, Jaebum,” Mr. Park said with a friendly smile, eyes almost disappearing entirely. He turned to one of his employees. “Will you show their driver to the coffee house please?”

 

The worker bowed and gestured to the driver, leading him the down the hall.

 

As the two of them disappeared, Jaebum stepped to the side. “These are my four hybrids—this is Mark, Jackson, Bambam—and you know Jinyoung.”

 

Each hybrid bowed deeply and then stepped out of the way as his name was called. Jinyoung was offered a hand, which he took cheerily. “Yes, I remember Jinyoung. How could I forget, when we share the same name?” Mr. Park grinned. “It’s been a while.”

 

“Yes,” Jinyoung said with a laugh. “It’s wonderful to be back. I love the new decorations.”

 

“Thank you. Do you think you might still want to model?”

 

“Ah-” 

 

“Don’t scare them, please,” Jaebum said, smiling at his father’s close friend. 

 

“My apologies,” Mr. Park said, stepping back with a small laugh. “Okay, so you’re here for suits, yes?”

 

“For those four. I still have mine from last spring—I won’t need another any time soon.”

 

“This is for the party?” 

 

“Yes.”

 

“Okay, so no bright colors, unfortunately. Follow me.” He gestured them to the left, and they trailed behind him, entering the actual shop itself. “Let’s see, I think dark blue would look good on Jinyoung—here, this isn’t too blue.” He held up a suit that wasn’t quite navy.

 

“That’s what I meant by royal blue, Jaebum,” Jinyoung said, taking the suit with a short bow and allowing one of the other employees to usher him into a dressing room.

 

“And for Jackson… try this.” It was a forest green. “We’ll have to tailor the waist in—you have broad shoulders.” Mr. Park looked him over. "Do  _you_ want to model for me?”

 

Jackson laughed. “I don’t know how good I would be at modeling,” he said. “But thank you.” He, too, took the suit and allowed himself to be led to a dressing room.

 

A dark burgundy was chosen for Mark, and a plain black suit for Bambam. “Your best color is gold, I think,” Mr. Park said. “And while I would  _love_ to put you in a gold suit, or at least a suit with gold on it, I don’t think that’s appropriate for this event.” Bambam nodded brightly. “We’re probably going to have to bring the waist… ah, everything in on that one.”

 

Jinyoung stepped out of his dressing room shortly after Bambam disappeared into his. 

 

“It’s a little loose around the thighs,” Mr. Park pointed out. “The jacket fits nicely, though.”

 

Jinyoung, in Jaebum’s perhaps biased opinion, looked stunning. The pants fit his butt really well, and he looked smart and put together. His horse tail swished nervously—or was it discomfort?

 

“Is the hole here too low?” Mr. Part asked, referring to the cutout in the pants made for hybrids with tails. 

 

“Ah, a little,” Jinyoung said, embarrassed. 

 

“It’s okay, we can fix that. I would say, bring it up about two centimeters—” He waved a hand at an employee, who began scribbling notes. “Thighs in just one centimeter, he needs to be able to move. How do the shoulders feel? We could probably afford to bring them in a half centimeter if you wanted a tighter fit—no? That’s fine. The calves need to be brought in about two centimeters, and I would hem the legs up a centimeter—he’s all torso, he’s stepping on the hem right now. What else? Turn for me. You sure about that modeling? I would absolutely love if we could get a model contract for all of you—people would be talking for  _years_ —Jaebum, are you planning on taking in any more?”

 

“It depends,” Jaebum said. “I don’t choose randomly—each of them needed a home.”

 

“I wouldn’t expect any less,” Mr. Park said, nodding. “Think on it—it would be great.”

 

“All right,” Jaebum said, laughing. “Jirongie, you look really good.”

 

“Do I? Thanks, hyung,” Jinyoung replied, turning in front of the mirror. “I really like the color.”

 

“It’s a good color on you,” Mr. Park said. “Hey, I forgot to tell you—we can wash the suits for you, and you can come in a couple hours before the party so we can do your hair and makeup for you. And for you, it’s free, too.”

 

“Ah, you don’t have to do that!” Jaebum immediately protested. “We would love to, but we _have_ to pay you.”

 

“No, you’re practically family,” Mr. Park said, waving him off. “Do come in, I want you all to look perfect for the party. Bring that sister of yours too, I just got a new palette in that will match her dress.”

 

“Oh, yes, Minseung told me she came in for a dress fitting the other day,” Jaebum said. “I’ll let her know so we can all come at the same time.”

 

“I can’t wait to meet your sister,” Jackson said, re-emerging from his stall. “Ah, Jinyoung, you look good!”

 

“You too!” Jinyoung said. It was true. Mr. Park really knew colors—Jackson looked great in the green. 

 

Mr. Park immediately set to work with some safety pins. “Bring the waist in three—no, four centimeters. This suit is built more for someone whose shoulders and waist are more equal in width. Jackson’s too fit, his ratio is like an equilateral triangle.”

 

“Like a Dorito,” Mark offered, briefly poking his head out of his dressing room. 

 

“It’s a good thing,” Mr. Park assured him around the safety pins in his mouth. “Ah, do you want us to bring in the thighs, for a tighter fit?”

 

“Sure,” Jackson said. 

 

“He just wants to show off that he has muscles. He’s gonna purposely flex if you go near them,” Jaebum said. 

 

“Nuh-uh, I just like a tighter fit!” Jackson defended.

 

“Nope, he’s a show-off.” Mark opened the door to his dressing room and peeked at his reflection in the mirror.

 

“Your eye for color never ceases to amaze me,” Jaebum said to Mr. Park as he finished make edits to Jackson’s suit. 

 

“Thank you,” Mr. Park said cheekily, moving on to Mark. “Sleeves are too loose and a little too long—let’s make that a centimeter and a half tighter, just a half centimeter shorter. Pants need to be brought in as well—try two centimeters. How’s the tail?”

 

“It fits well,” Mark replied. “It’s comfortable.”

 

“You’re lucky, cat tails are very skinny,” Mr. Park said. “It’s easy to fit them. I like this color on you, it really highlights your skin. What do you think?”

 

“I think it looks good,” Mark said rather bashfully.

 

“I do too,” Jaebum said with a nod. “You guys look so smart!”

 

“Ah, you guys get such fun colors,” Bambam said, finally ready.

 

“It’s so loose on you!” Jackson said. “Bambam is so skinny.”

 

“Yeah, once we tailor it, it’ll fit just fine.” Mr. Park began rattling off numbers, “…four centimeters on the waist, maybe even four and a half. We’ll have to let the hem of the pants down a half a centimeter—you’re all legs, that must be nice. The shoulders need to come in a centimeter, and the arms need to come in probably two. Is it comfortable?”

 

“Just a little loose,” Bambam said. “But I think it fits.”

 

“Good, good. Okay, we’ll get these ready for you. How about you come back the day after tomorrow, for a final fitting, and then we’ll have them washed and ready for the next day’s party?”

 

“Sounds perfect,” Jaebum said with a nod as the hybrids went to change back into their normal clothes. “I’ll have Minseung contact you. I think my mother might come along as well. My father has to go yell at all the workers to get everything set up properly, so he was going to come in the morning, I believe.”

 

“Yes, he already made his appointment,” Mr. Park said. “I would love to watch him bark at the workers, though, he’s very good at design.”

 

“I’ll let him know you said so,” Jaebum said, bowing slightly. “Thank you for everything.”

 

“Of course. I’ll have you pay when you come back, so we can cover the tailoring charges on one bill. Bring your suit then, too, just to make sure it still fits right.” Mr. Park contemplated Jaebum for a moment. "Do think about the modeling, won’t you? If you’re not to busy. I never get to see you anymore, and I really think it would look great.”

 

“You’re very good to let hybrids the opportunity as well,” Jaebum said, in a slightly quieter tone. “I’m glad there are people like you.”

 

“It’s only right,” Mr. Park said. “Something like that shouldn’t limit them.”

 

“I agree.” Jaebum let out a sigh. “I hope nothing happens at the party—I know some of our clients are a bit… conservative.”

 

“You’ll handle it,” Mr. Park said. “You always have. I doubt they would try to cause too much of a scene.”

 

“I hope so.” Jaebum chewed on his lip. He was really worried about the party, as much as he was excited for it. There would be so many young, good looking people there—what if the others turned their gazes on them, what if their eyes filled with stars the way they only did when they looked at each other or him, what if one of the rich boys there offered to buy one of them and they wanted to go with him?

 

Mark hopped out of his room, handing the neatly hung suit to an employee and jolting Jaebum out of his thoughts. “Do you really think people will say things?”

 

“P-probably,” Jaebum said. “Likely it’ll all be passive aggressive. I just have such a bad temper—” 

 

“You do not.”

 

“—that I’m afraid I’m going to explode at someone.”

 

“I’ll stop you,” Jinyoung said sternly, handing his suit off as well.

 

“I won’t,” Jackson announced. “I would love to see Jaebum-hyung deck someone in the face.”

 

“I wouldn’t,” Jaebum said, making a  _yikes_ face. 

 

“I also wouldn’t,” Bambam added. “It would hurt his hands.”

 

“Looks like I’m well taken care of,” Jaebum said to Mr. Park with a laugh as Bambam sidled up to him. He put his arm around the smaller boy. “Thank you again, Mr. Park. We’ll be back in a couple days.”

 

Mr. Park walked them to the elevators, where their driver was waiting. “It was my pleasure. Take care of yourselves, all right?”

 

“Will do. You’ll also be at the party?” Jaebum asked as the elevator dinged.

 

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Mr. Park said with a bow. The doors closed and the elevator slid down into the garage.

 

* * *

 

“Jinyoung’s ass looked so good in those pants,” Jackson said once they were back home. Mark smacked the ass in question with a high-pitched giggle. 

 

They were a little hyper. Shopping with friends is such a pure form of bonding, and it was fun to see everyone in a suit. The party was soon, and everyone was still on a Christmas high, Jaebum included. But for Jaebum, there was that small trickle of cold fear in his chest.  _What if something happened, what if something went wrong?_  


 

“I can’t wait for makeup,” Bambam said. “I’ve never had mine done before—well, one guy made me wear lipstick once, but that doesn’t count.”

 

“I’m hungry,” Jackson said, collapsing onto a stool in the kitchen. “Can we order pizza?”

 

“Sure,” Jaebum said, picking up the phone. Jinyoung plopped down next to Jackson, giving him and Mark light flicks on the forehead for manhandling his butt earlier. Bambam opened the communal tin of peppermint bark and began sucking on a piece, looking outside. 

 

“What’s the party going to be like?” Mark asked, opening one of his banana milks.

 

“Dimly lit, kinda… swanky. I dunno, there’s going to be an open bar, but I would advise to not have more than one drink. Make sure you eat first before drinking, too—and you—” Jaebum pointed at Bambam. “Don’t you dare.”

 

“Some of you aren’t of age, either,” Bambam said. 

 

“In that building, the drinking age is 20—so many of my dad’s clients are young, they kinda bend the rules,” Jaebum said. “You’re 17—”

 

“Almost 18.”

 

“Still.” Jaebum shook his head. “Oh! Oh, I have to make sure you guys know how to use utensils. There’s like a five course meal or something.”

 

“Out to in, right?” Jackson asked.

 

“Basically. Appetizers come first, with drinks. Then soup, then salad, and then a couple of main entrees,” Jaebum explained. “Then there’s dessert, and then usually some tiny little tarts or whatever. Usually it’s pretty self explanatory—you want to use the spoon for the soup, the tiny fork for the tarts, et cetera.”

 

“Make sure to put your napkin on your lap,” Jinyoung added. “Eat in small bites, and don’t, like, eat all the meat first, and then the veggies—you have to eat them equally.”

 

“Try your best to clear your plate,” Jaebum said. “But don’t worry if you can’t. I doubt my dad will get offended.”

 

“It’s better not to burst out of your suit,” Jinyoung said with a giggle. “That happened once to this one guy, right?”

 

“Yeah, I forget what business he was in—but a button popped off of his jacket,” Jaebum said. 

 

“No way,” Jackson said. 

 

“It landed in Mr. Park’s drink,” Jinyoung said. “Or was it your father’s?”

 

“It was Mr. Park’s. Obviously he just laughed it off, but it was still embarrassing for everyone.” Jaebum grinned. “Stuff like that happens at every party. There’s a story from each year.”

 

The doorbell rang.

 

“Pizza!” Bambam yelled.

 

“I got it,” Jaebum said, pushing himself off the counter and padding out into the hall. He paid the delivery man and brought the three boxes back in. “Okay, pepperoni, cheese, and everything.” They sat at the table and dug in. 

 

“Is there dancing?” Bambam asked through a mouthful of pizza.

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said. “It’s mostly for the children of the businessmen, though, and it’s kind of in the corner. It’s basically just so parents can be like, ‘look how well  _my_ kid dances~’, you know?”

 

“So not for hybrids?” Mark asked.

 

“I don’t know. I usually steer clear,” Jaebum said. “If you guys really want a dance party, we can have one here.” He looked up. “I don’t want people to see you dancing,” he said softly. “Because they might try and steal you away from me.”

 

“Hyung…” Mark pouted and reached for his hand. “We wouldn’t let them.”

 

“You haven’t seen them,” Jaebum explained. “They—they’re richer than me. They’re better looking, they can provide even more for you—they can literally give you the world. There are so many of them waiting to snatch up pretty hybrids at the party to make theirs—some of them get so high off their power, able to give anyone anything—I’m—I’m  _afraid._ ”

 

“How could they be better than you?” Bambam exclaimed. “I don’t believe it. I will always like all of you best.”

 

“You don’t get it.” Jaebum closed his eyes briefly, finally letting his fears out. “So many things happen. There are dazzling people in this world, and I am not one of them. I’m ordinary. My family isn’t. But I am. My mother is so good with words, my father is so smart with business, my sister is so beautiful—” 

 

“And you are so  _kind_ ,” Jinyoung said softly. Jaebum felt lips on his jaw; they were Jackson’s. “You have a good heart. I don’t need someone with more money than you. None of us do. We like you. Not what you give us, not because of your looks—because you are sweet and kind and took us in because you are good, not because it’s a power trip, not for public image, not to have slaves. That’s what’s important.”

 

“I can’t believe you’ve been worrying,” Jackson admonished, sounding slightly offended. “We love you, Jaebum. We’re not going to leave you. Why would we? We’re all happy here. You treat us better than anyone ever could.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Jaebum said. “I just always worry. Sometimes I can’t help but wonder if I should be doing something more…”

 

“No,” Mark said. “You’re doing everything already. We don’t need anything else. We just need you.”

 

“I’m so sorry,” Jaebum repeated, taking their hands, petting their hair. “I know… I know that. I just don’t want to lose you.”

 

“You won’t,” Bambam promised for all of them.

 

Reassured and a little bit embarrassed, Jaebum went back to his pizza. He could only hope they were right, but he was much less worried than before. They were a family now, and would be always. That’s what he had come to know; that’s what they had all come to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! Thanks for reading. You can find me on my tumblr @ suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask if u wanna holler at me :)


	15. Chapter 15

The day of the party arrived, and their entire house was abuzz. They would be meeting Jaebum’s mother and sister at the store, and then would be heading over to the party venue together in a limo. Their suits were waiting for them at the store as well, so, all clothed in sweatpants and t-shirts, they piled into a company van and travelled downtown.

 

Minseung and Mrs. Im had already arrived, and were getting last-minute adjustments when the five boys were shown into their own changing room. They pulled on their suits quickly, allowing employees to help straighten collars and cuffs. Then, they were all lead into the makeup room.

 

Minseung and Mrs. Im both stood when they entered. “Jinyoung!” Mrs. Im said, reaching her arms out to him. “It’s been so long. I’m so glad you’re doing well.”

 

“I’ve missed you, too,” Jinyoung said, accepting her hug with a smile. “You both look beautiful,” he added, nodding to Minseung in greeting.

 

“And this must be Bambam.” Mrs. Im smiled. “I’ve heard all about you. Is Jaebum treating you well?”

 

“Very well,” Bambam said with a vehement nod. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

 

“And this is Minseung,” Jaebum said, making a sweeping introduction. “My sister. Minnie, this is Jackson, Mark, and Bambam. You already know Jinyoung, of course.”

 

Minseung bowed slightly. “Yes, it’s very nice to meet you all.” 

 

“That color is absolutely stunning on you,” Jaebum said, giving his sister a side hug. It was a smokey gray. Her shoes matched her bluejay feathers in her hair, and her nails were already done, an ombre of grey to blue. 

 

“Mr. Park said he’d be right back. He got a call from your father, but he wants to oversee the whole makeup process,” Mrs. Im said. “But you can all sit.” She gestured to the row of chairs. Jaebum took the chair nearest to her, and the other boys spread out down the line. 

 

“Here they are!” Mr. Park entered the room. “I just got off the phone with Mr. Im. He says he thinks he’s gone hoarse. Would you believe they accidentally flipped the seating arrangement, so it was mirror image of what he wanted? They had to redo the entire thing… I’m glad my job is much easier. You’re all already so good looking, we don’t have much work to do. Anyone have any preferences?"

 

“I think I’ll do medium coverage since it’s nighttime,” Minseung spoke up. 

 

“Good, good.” Mr. Park waved to one of the makeup artists waiting on the side of the room. “You know what to do. And for you, Mrs. Im?”

 

“Oh, whatever you think is best,” she said airily. 

 

“I think a pink pallet will make you look as young as your daughter,” Mr. Park said. “It’ll go well with the dress, too.”

 

“Sounds wonderful.” Mrs. Im smiled at the makeup artist who came to her side. 

 

“And for the boys…” Mr. Park grinned. “You all have such good skin. Let’s get some natural foundation on all of them while I think. Jaebum, I think eyeliner today, yes?” Jaebum nodded. “For Mark as well. Give Mark a sharper point on his, though. Let’s comb Jaebum’s hair out, and then gel it up in the front and slick the extra back. For Mark, fluff it up in the front, but only in the middle. I don’t want to block his cat ears. Jackson… Use the natural pallet, highlight his cheeks. Let’s do his hair like Jaebum’s—although, I do have to point out that it would look really great with your bangs in your eyes… but not for today. Jinyoung… the peach pallet. Oh! Lip tint, just a little, on all of them. Make it match their natural color, though. Jinyoung’s hair… do you think doing it the same as Jaebum and Jackson would be good?”

 

“You know better than me,” Jinyoung said easily.

 

“That’s yes, then. And Bambam… red. Get the red pallet out and accent it with gold. I want more lip tint on him too. And we’re going to tousle his hair, and if some of it ends up in his face, that’s fine. He’s young enough that it’ll come off looking just fine.” As Mr. Park spoke, makeup artists began opening up drawers and pulling out brushes and foundations and set to work.

 

“You don’t think the gold will be too much?” Bambam asked.

 

“No, it’s just for accent,” Mr. Park said. “Don’t worry, you’re all still going to look classy.” He looked around. “All right, I’m going to have mine done now. I’ll be back when you’re finished for any touch ups, okay?”

 

“Thank you,” Mrs. Im said. “You’re always too kind to us.”

 

“Not at all,” Mr. Park said. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

 

“Jinyoung, it really is a delight to see you again,” Minseung said once Mr. Park was gone. “We’re fortunate you and Jaebum met up!”

 

“It’s thanks to Mark,” Jinyoung said. “He mentioned me to Jaebum.” 

 

“You all look so healthy, too. It’s really good to see,” Mrs. Im added.

 

“ _That_ is thanks to Jaebum,” Mark said warmly.

 

“Good to know he feeds you, then,” Mrs. Im said, a slightly wry undertone entering her voice. She met eyes with Jaebum in the mirror and they both laughed.

 

“I don’t know why you and Dad think I’m neglecting them or something,” Jaebum complained good-naturedly. “I’m a good, responsible person when I need to be, I swear!”

 

“I think it’s more when he  _wants_ to be,” Jackson said cheekily. “I mean, luckily for us, he  _wants_ to take care of us.”

 

“Hey,” Jaebum said, pretending to be offended. “There are definitely times I want to be responsible, I just can’t find it in me. I have a reserve store of responsibility for when it really matters.”

 

“What about the time when—”

 

“Minnie, I will put hydrogen peroxide in your conditioner,” Jaebum threatened.

 

“You wouldn’t dare,” Minseung said, but Jaebum noticed that she didn’t try to share any childhood stories after that.

 

“Who’s catering tonight?” Jaebum asked his mother before they could continue down the road of his questionable responsibility.

 

“An Italian place.”

 

“Pizza?” Jackson asked, straightening in his chair.

 

“No, you absolute pelican,” Bambam said rather cuttingly. Jinyoung, Jaebum, and Jackson almost disrupted their makeup artists as they curled into fits of laughter at the choice of insult. “That means fancy pastas and stuff.” 

 

“ _Pelican!”_ Mark mouthed to Jaebum in the mirror, eyes crinkling. 

 

Soon, their makeup was done and Mr. Park was giving his last appraisal of the finished products. Jaebum had to admit they all looked very good. Mark looked gorgeous with the slightly winged eyeliner, and Jackson’s skin shone. Jinyoung looked very put together, the slightly shimmery eyeshadow making his eyes sparkly, and Bambam looked almost sultry, with the red eyeliner making his eyes look hooded, and the extra lip tint making his lips look kiss-bitten and soft. Mark’s black cat ears stood out against his pale hair, and Jaebum felt a soft shiver go through his entire body as he remembered Mark purring for him just a few days before. Mark caught him looking and gave him a subtle wink. Jaebum gave him a less subtle smirk in return.

 

Once Mr. Park decided every last hair was in place, they descended to the garage, where a limo was waiting for them. They piled in and soon they were on the streets, nearing the hotel that Im Corp had rented out for the evening.

 

“Since the party will go so late, many guests have rooms so they don’t have to worry about driving home at three in the morning,” Mrs. Im told them. “I booked you five a five-way joint suite—there’s three bathrooms between the five bedrooms, with doors connecting every room, and a little sitting area in the middle.”

 

“Thanks, Umma,” Jaebum said. 

 

“You’re on the seventh floor, I believe. You’ll get your keys once we get there.” She looked out the window. “Which is about now.” The limo slowed to a stop in front of grand front doors leading the the lobby of the hotel. The women were helped out of the car, and the boys followed after. Jaebum looked at the other four, smiling very slightly at their wide eyes. 

 

“It’s so pretty,” Bambam gushed softly.

 

“Don’t stare too much,” Jaebum chided gently, but he didn’t really mean it. “Yeah, it is.”

 

They were all ushered to the front desk, where they were immediately checked in and given their keys. Mrs. Im told them to go upstairs and take a look at their rooms and drop off anything that they didn’t want to carry around during the party, and then to meet back downstairs in the main ballroom.

 

“Ballroom?” Jackson asked as they got onto an elevator.

 

“It’s just a big open room to put tables and things in,” Jaebum said. “It’s not actually a ball.”

 

“Oh.” Jackson sounded vaguely disappointed. Jaebum suppressed giggles.

 

The elevator dinged and they stepped out onto a quiet floor that was sleek and modernly furnished. 

 

“We’re 701-705… so that’s to the left,” Jaebum said, reading a few signs on the wall in front of them and leading them down the hall. “Oh, wow, wait, those five rooms take up the entire left wing of this floor. Okay… 705… that’s this one. I’ll take it since it’s closest to the elevator; you guys are probably safer the further you get from the elevator lobby.”

 

“Jinyoung should take the far end,” Jackson suggested. 

 

“Can I be in the middle?” Bambam asked a tiny bit plaintively.

 

“Yeah. I’ll be next to Jaebum, is that okay?” Jackson asked.

 

“Uh-huh!” Mark said, wrapping his arms around one of Jinyoung’s.

 

Jaebum distributed the keys and each boy let himself into his room. They unlocked the doors that joined the rooms immediately, and then left them open when they headed back downstairs.

 

“Ok, kids,” Jaebum said when they were in the elevator. “Remember you manners. Smile nicely. If you need anything, come find me. I’ll probably just be sitting on a stool somewhere in the corner, trying to avoid talking to people because I’m better at behind-the-scenes work. Please keep yourselves safe. Always stay in pairs at least, okay? Actually, make pairs right now.”

 

Jackson and Bambam made finger guns at each other and then clasped hands, and Jinyoung and Mark kind of just wrapped their arms around each other, Mark’s around Jinyoung’s waist and Jinyoung’s around Mark’s shoulders.

 

“Well, that solves that.” Jaebum smiled. “It would really be better if you just stayed as one big group, but I don’t want to make you do that, because you might want to go do different things. Just be safe. That’s all I ask.”

 

“We will,” Mark promised sweetly. “Don’t worry, hyung.”

 

“I try not to,” Jaebum said, giving his hand a squeeze.

 

The elevator doors slid open and the boys quickly detached themselves from one another, smoothing their hair and straightening their jackets.

 

“I need nine chairs at this table, not ten. I don’t care what you do with the extra as long as you don’t mess up the other tables, I just want it out of here!” Mr. Im was explaining in exasperation to a worker as the five boys approached.

 

“Hey, Dad,” Jaebum greeted as the worker bowed and whisked the offending chair from his employer’s view.

 

“Jaebum! Ah, Mr. Park does so well. And everyone else… Jinyoung, come here, you don’t have to stand off to the side like that. I heard about your parents, and I do extend my deepest sympathies…” 

 

“I’m getting along fine now,” Jinyoung assured him, taking his hand and shaking it with a smile. “It’s good to see you again.”

 

“Same to you! Let’s see, Mark, you’re looking very well, I’m glad you haven’t tired of my son yet. Jackson, how are you? Good? And, ah yes. Bambam. Jaebum told us about you a few days ago.” Mr. Im held out his hand to Bambam.

 

Bambam shook it nervously. “It’s wonderful to meet you,” he said, shaking his hand and bowing. “Thank you for letting me come, even if… if… you know.”

 

Mr. Im laughed. “It wasn’t a problem. Don’t worry about it. How is Jaebum treating you?”

 

“Well! Very well!” Bambam said.

 

“ _Dad_ ,” Jaebum groaned. “I’m taking care of them.  _You_ raised me, how could I not?”

 

“Mrs. Im and Minnie already teased him about it earlier today,” Jinyoung explained. Mr. Im laughed.

 

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Jackson asked, gesturing to the mostly set up room.

 

“No, you’re all right.” Mr. Im ran his hand down the back of his hair, careful not to mess up the careful job that Mr. Park’s stylists had done. “I guess I could run through what’s going to happen really quick. It’s really informal. No speeches; speeches are for meeting rooms. I just put this on as an actual show of my gratitude to my clients. So this table—” he gestured to the one from which he just had a chair removed. “We sit here—you guys, me, my wife, my daughter, and Mr. Park. See, they’re setting up the placemats as we speak… Hey, you’re looking at it the wrong way, Mr. Park is to be on my right, not my left—there you go.

 

“Anyway, so people should start arriving in about a half hour. I’ll just kind of stand and thank everyone for coming, and tell them to enjoy themselves... and then from there it’s just socialization. We’re here to celebrate a new year together and meet new people.” Mr. Im shrugged. “Don’t be afraid to talk to people. I would hope that they would refrain from being rude in my presence.”

 

“I get to sit next to Minseung?” Jinyoung asked out of the blue, pointing at their table.

 

“Yes,” Mr. Im said cheerfully. “We needed someone to, and you know her better.”

 

“Basically after the dinner, people get up and mingle,” Jaebum added in because a few of them still looked a little confused. “There’s a bar in that corner, and another there. That’s the dance area—yes? Yes—and more open food is right there—you can see them setting up. Once dinner is over, you can go up to your room if you wish, just make sure someone is with you.”

 

“Buddy system,” Bambam agreed.

 

“Buddy system?” Mr. Im asked.

 

“Jaebum told us to stay in pairs to stay safe,” Mark explained.

 

“Ah. Smart. Good.” Mr. Im became a bit distracted. “Sorry, I have to make sure they know what they’re doing.” He gestured to some workers setting up the last of the tables. “You can seat yourselves if you wish, or just poke around.”

 

“Thanks, Dad,” Jaebum called after him. “I guess we just sit tight, then.”

 

“I’m excited,” Bambam said, sitting down but not sitting still. 

 

“The only fun part is the food,” Jaebum said.

 

“No, we get to meet people!” Jackson said, flicking Jaebum’s hand. 

 

They chatted together as they waited for more guests to come. Minseung and Mrs. Im joined them at the table, and slowly the room began to fill. Mr. Im stood near the table, bowing and greeting people as they came in. Mrs. Im joined him once the number of guests streaming in proved to be too many for him to handle.

 

With most of the seats filled, Mr. Im took a spoon against his empty wineglass and claimed the attention of those in attendance. “Thank you all for coming to share the new year with my family and me. I don’t want to bore you with speeches; I know everyone is the most excited about the food. I just want to say that it has been an honor getting to know all of you and working with you over the past year, and I wish everyone a new year full of fun and wonderful things. And without further, ado, dinner. Please enjoy!”

 

As he took his seat, workers flooded out with platters of food on sleek silver carts. Immediately, the noise level picked up as people began to talk. The Im’s table, too, erupted into conversation.

 

“I think you may have outdone yourself this year,” Mr. Park said, spreading his napkin across his lap and picking up his spoon.

 

“No, three years ago was by far the most… ah, interesting?” Mr. Im corrected, nodding in thanks at the waiter that filled his glass.

 

“Oh, yes, I forgot about that. How could I? Iconic, that.”

 

“What happened three years ago?” Mark whispered to Jaebum.

 

“The waitresses outfits were… a bit sexier than planned,” Jaebum replied.

 

Mark almost choked on his soup.

 

Perhaps too soon, the dinner was over and people rose from their seats to meet people and get more drinks. Jaebum waved the other hybrids in the direction of the rest of the room.

 

“Be free! Socialize. I see other hybrids milling around.” He took at seat on a bar stool. “There will be fireworks at midnight.You’ll be able to see them from those windows. Be safe!”

 

“You don’t want to come along?” Jackson asked.

 

“I’ve been to enough of these parties, and I’ll be to plenty more. I think I’m going to sit out of talking to rich people.” Jaebum laughed as he said it. The four hybrids laughed too, but in a kind of  _suit yourself_ sort of way, and disappeared into a crowd of black suits and glitter, leaving Jaebum at the bar.

 

* * *

 

_Mark’s POV_

Jinyoung tugged him over to a group of hybrids sitting in a group at a small table. “Let’s go say hi!” 

 

“Ooh, we haven’t seen you guys here before.” One of them looked up and gave a welcoming smile. He was extremely handsome and seemed pretty tall. Mark wasn’t sure, but he seemed to be some kind of big cat hybrid.

 

“We’re new,” Jinyoung said. “I’m Park Jinyoung, and this is Mark Tuan.”

 

“Hey, you have the same name as Mr. Park!” Another hybrid, this one seemingly a bunny, spoke up. He smiled, and added, “I’m Wooyoung. That’s Taecyeon,” in reference to the first hybrid who spoke.

 

“You know him? Mr. Park?” Mark asked, shyness forgotten in his curiosity.

 

“He’s our owner,” a third cat hybrid informed him with a smile.

 

“Who’s yours?” asked the hybrid closest to Jinyoung. Mark guessed he was a dog or a wolf hybrid.

 

“Im Jaebum,” Jinyoung said with a smile. “Our owners are friends!”

 

“I guess that means we have to get to know you guys,” yet another hybrid said, this one a horse like Jinyoung. “I’m Junsu. That—” he pointed to the dog hybrid, “is Nichkhun, and that—” the cat hybrid waved, “is Junho. The one who hasn’t talked yet is Chansung.”

 

“Hey,” Chansung, some kind of bird hybrid, said, shooting Junsu a disgruntled look. “Pull up chairs.” 

 

“Do you model for Mr. Park?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Yep,” Nichkhun said. “He always likes to cause a stir… but you probably already knew that.”

 

“Jaebum told us about his sister,” Mark said in agreement, curling his tail around the leg of his chair out of nervousness.

 

“Mr. Park never talked about you guys.” Taecyeon looked a bit put out. “I would have wanted to meet you.”

 

“He only met all of us a few days ago,” Jinyoung explained.

 

“All of you?” Wooyoung asked.

 

“There’s four of us,” Jinyoung elaborated. “Jaebum’s just been taking in hybrids one by one.”

 

“He just needs two more and he’ll be even with Mr. Park!” Junho exclaimed.

 

“I don’t know if he’s going to get anymore,” Mark said. “It’s been a while since he took one in.”

 

“Does he treat you well, though?” Junsu asked, sounding genuinely concerned for their wellbeing.

 

“Absolutely,” Jinyoung said firmly. Mark nodded his agreement. “He’s really kind to us.”

 

“Hey!” Chansung said suddenly, looking at his watch. “It’s almost midnight—each of you take a glass, you have to have champagne—and come see the fireworks!” 

 

Mark and Jinyoung eyed each other, and then accepted the flutes of champagne that Wooyoung smilingly offered them, following the group of hybrids to the big window. Mark noticed Jackson and Bambam near the front, but figured it would be too much effort to push his way through a crowd.

 

People around them began counting down, and suddenly the sky was lit with bright and colorful fireworks. Mark couldn’t help smiling. He watched the dazzling show, wide-eyed, a light hold on Jinyoung’s arm.

 

“Hey!” It was Junsu, coming over just as the fireworks were finishing. “Are you guys interested in dancing? We were going to go over."

 

“No thanks,” Jinyoung said with a smile. “We don’t really dance. You guys go ahead. It was nice to meet you guys though!”

 

“Yeah, I’m glad I got to talk to more hybrids,” Mark added, waving. The other hybrids waved back before heading over to the dancing area.

 

“Wanna see what they have at the bar? Honestly, I could do with some plain water,” Jinyoung suggested.

 

“Sure.” Mark hopped off his chair and fell into step with Jinyoung. They crossed the short distance to the bar and each clambered onto a stool. A kind-looking, old bartender was polishing glasses behind the counter.

 

“Hi, could we get two waters please?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Of course.” He turned and grabbed two clean glasses and filled them with water, and then made his way to the far end of the counter, where a woman had just sat down. 

 

The boys sat in silence, just watching people pass by. They lost track of the others and of time, soaking in the atmosphere of the party.  _We’ll get this every year,_ Mark thought to himself cheerily.

 

“Oh my, you two are so cute.” Mark and Jinyoung both turned at the voice, a little startled.. It belonged to a handsome young man in a dark suit who looked like he was about 25 years old. “I’m guessing that because you’re here, you’ve already been claimed.”

 

“We have,” Jinyoung said boldly, finding Mark’s hand behind his back for support. Mark felt him trembling.

 

“Does your owner treat you well?” the man asked, gracefully slipping to the seat beside Jinyoung. “Do you think he would be willing to negotiate with me?”

 

“He told us he would never sell us if we didn’t want to be sold,” Mark said, squeezing Jinyoung’s hand.

 

Something changed in the man’s eyes. “But you must wonder if he really meant that, don’t you, kitten?”

 

Mark’s blood felt cold in his veins.  _Only Jaebum calls me kitten._ The way this man said it was… wrong.

 

“Of course he meant it!” Mark replied, trying and failing not to sound a bit shrill. “He cares about us, he  _promised_ _—_ ”

 

“It’s not anything against you,” Jinyoung added when he heard Mark floundering. “We’re just very… very loyal to our—our owner.”

 

“As you should be. A hybrid should always be loyal to its master. But it isn’t a two way street. A human has any right to sell off his hybrid whenever he feels like, for whatever reason.. no matter what kind of  _promises_ he made.”

 

“But good people don’t do that,” Jinyoung argued. “And our owner is good.”

 

“I can be better,” the man said, leaning closer. “Anything he gives you, I could double it. I can give you anything you want.” He reached for Jinyoung’s hand, snatched it up before the hybrid could stop it. Mark wanted to tug Jinyoung’s hand away, but he felt frozen. “I can give you anything you need.”

 

“Hey!” Mark suddenly heard a welcome, familiar voice. It was angry and maybe a little bit fearful, and he felt his chest swell. “You’re not allowed to touch them! They’re mine.”


	16. Chapter 16

_Jaebum’s POV_

“Jaebum-hyung?” It was Jackson. “Bambam is feeling tired, so he and I are going to go up to bed. Is that okay?”

 

“Of course. You have your keys?” Jaebum asked. Both boys nodded. “Okay. Goodnight, then. I’ll see you both in the morning. Feel free to wake me up if you need something then.”

 

He watched them as they slipped out of the room.  _I should probably go let Jinyoung and Mark know. I don’t want them trying to find the other two later and just wasting their time._  


Jaebum stood and looked around the large room. They weren’t by the food, or around any of the game tables.  _How hard is it to find a couple people in an emptying room?_ He began to wander. And then—

 

_Oh._

There was a rich young man talking to them at the bar across the floor.  _I knew it was going to happen. I knew it was going to happen._ Jaebum stumbled his way over to them. As he approached, he saw the man take Jinyoung’s hand. He took Jinyoung’s hand—and did not let go.

 

“I can give you anything you need,” he was saying.

 

“Hey!” Jaebum said loudly, willing his voice not to shake. “You’re not allowed to touch them! They’re mine.”

 

In his surprise, the man loosed his grip on Jinyoung’s hand. Jinyoung wrenched himself away and both he and Mark attached themselves to Jaebum’s sides.

 

“Are you their owner?” the man asked.

 

“Yes. And they are absolutely not for sale,” Jaebum said. Mark’s grip on Jaebum’s waist tightened. Jaebum rested his hand lightly on the smaller boy’s hair.

 

“You don’t even know what I’m offering.”

 

“I don’t care. Still a no.”

 

“Not even one? I’ll give you ten million won for either. They’re gorgeous.” The man gave Mark a long look.

 

“No,” Jaebum said coldly. “Leave us alone.”

 

The man rose from his seat, giving a stiff bow. “Fine. It was a pleasure doing business with you.” It didn’t sound like he meant it at all.

 

Jaebum bowed back. “Same to you,” he said in the same tone of voice.

 

Jinyoung stepped away from Jaebum once the man got lost in the crowd, but Mark continued to cling.

 

“Are you okay?” Jaebum asked him softly, running his hand over Mark’s head, petting his cat ears.

 

“…yes,” Mark said. “I… didn’t like him.”

 

“Me neither,” Jaebum said, fixing the slight mess he made with Mark’s hair.

 

“You wouldn't really sell us, right?” Mark confirmed.

 

“Did I sell you just now? No. I’ll keep you until you don’t want me.”

 

“He said you might not have meant it, that’s all. That’s why Mark is asking,” Jinyoung explained.

 

“Well, he’s wrong.” Jaebum smiled. “Don’t worry, okay? He and I see the world very differently, I think.” He sighed. “Anyway. The reason I was trying to find you was to tell you Jackson and Bambam went upstairs… at least a half hour ago by now.”

 

“Can we head up as well?” Jinyoung asked. Something about his tone made Jaebum meet his gaze. His stomach flipped when their eyes connected.

 

“You guys can… I have to make sure I’m no longer needed first.”

 

“We’ll come with,” Jinyoung said, looping an arm through Mark’s.

 

They found Jaebum’s mother at a tall table with a few other people.

 

“Get some sleep, okay?” is all Mrs. Im said. “Breakfast will be back down here in the morning.”

 

“Thank you, Umma.” Jaebum gave her a goodnight kiss on the cheek, and then led the other two out the door.

 

“Mark, are you really alright?” Jinyoung asked as they made their way to the elevators. “You’re shaking.”

 

“I’m fine,” Mark said unconvincingly. Neither Jaebum or Jinyoung decided to press.

 

When they got to their rooms, Jinyoung wrapped his arms around Jaebum’s waist as Jaebum was about to go unlock his own door.

 

“Come to my room when you’re done with your shower,” he said softly into the back of Jaebum’s jacket. He pressed a kiss to the older boy’s ear. “Please?”

 

“Okay.” Jaebum felt Jinyoung’s warmth leave him as he pulled away. He pushed his door open and stepped into his dark room. Making quick work of his clothes, he jumped into the shower and washed away the makeup job that Mr. Park’s stylists had so painstakingly applied. He didn’t stay under the water long, however, because he knew Jinyoung was waiting for him.

 

When he got out of the shower, he found Mark sitting on one of the chairs in his room. 

 

“Ah! Mark, Jesus Christ, you scared me.” Jaebum was grateful he brought a pair of pants into the bathroom with him, just so that he wasn’t totally naked. Still, it was a little disconcerting to be shirtless with Mark across from him still in a full suit. Nonetheless, Jaebum walked over to Mark and crouched so that they were eye-to-eye. “You okay? Can I… can I do something for you?”

 

“I…” Mark swallowed, avoiding his eyes. “He… that guy, he called me kitten. And… it felt really gross. And… you’re the only one that really calls me that… and I almost feel like—I should apologize?”

 

“Baby, you don’t have to apologize,” Jaebum whispered. Inside, he was bubbling with anger. He didn’t want to see any of the boys hurting, and some part of him wished he had given the man a solid punch. “I’m sorry he bothered you. It’s not your fault. C’mere.” He held his arms open and Mark tilted into them.

 

“Make me yours again,” Mark mumbled into Jaebum’s neck.

 

Jaebum’s stomach dropped. “Come with me to Jinyoung’s room,” he said, tugging Mark to his feet. “I promised him I’d join him after I showered. Let me just put on a shirt; I’m gonna go around because I don’t want to tromp through Bambam’s and Jackson’s rooms if they’re sleeping.”

 

“Okay,” Mark said in a small voice.

 

Jaebum pulled out an old t-shirt and hastily yanked it over his torso. “Okay, babe, let’s go.” He held out a hand to Mark, and Mark took it. “What do you need from me?” he asked him as they walked down the hall to Jinyoung’s room.

 

“Make it right,” Mark said. “I… want you to call me kitten the way I’m used to—I want to erase the way he said it.”

 

“Okay,” Jaebum said, gently running his fingers over Mark’s cat ears as he knocked on Jinyoung’s door. “I can do that. But what if Jinyoung calls you kitten, too? Is that okay?”

 

“Yes,” Mark says, nodding.

 

“Hey.” Jinyoung opens his door, brushing his hair back. He’s in nothing but long pajama pants, and his hair is damp from what Jaebum is assuming was a quick shower. “Oh, Mark too! …You sure you’re okay?”

 

“He didn’t like the way that guy addressed him as ‘kitten’,” Jaebum explained, ushering Mark into the room and closing the door behind them. Jinyoung swished his tail, upset, and reached out to Mark. Mark nuzzled into Jinyoung’s neck, giving small kisses. Jinyoung rubbed his back, looking over his head at Jaebum with worried eyes. “He’ll be okay,” Jaebum said, “as long as we take care of him. Baby,” he addressed Mark now. “Can you get on the bed for me?” 

 

Mark complied, crawling onto the bed and curling up with a pillow, wide eyes still watching Jaebum. Jinyoung went with him, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking Mark's hair. 

 

"Do you want to get the suit off?" Jinyoung offered. Mark nodded, and sat up and allowed Jinyoung to gently tug the jacket from his shoulders. Jaebum watched them taking care of each other with loving eyes. He began to smile—until he saw a tear slip down Mark’s cheek.

 

“Hey, hey, hey, Mark, hey, what’s wrong? We can stop, okay, if you want to, we can stop. Hey, look at me. Mark.” Jaebum crossed the room and lowered himself to his knees by the bed, taking Mark’s hands. Jinyoung hovered behind Mark, running a soothing palm up and down the cat hybrid's back, unsure of what to do. “Please tell me why you’re crying,” Jaebum continued.

 

“I just—” Mark sniffled lightly. “I feel bad! I let him call me something only you call me and I wasn’t necessarily afraid that you w-would be mad at me, but I feel like you should be—like y-you’re well within right to be—I don’t know.”

 

Jaebum kissed Mark’s tears away, tasting the grief- and fear-ridden salt on his tongue. “Mark, it isn’t your fault. You did nothing wrong. You can’t be held responsible for his actions. I would never accuse you of being—what, disloyal? You didn’t ask for it.”

 

Mark shivered under Jaebum’s hands, pressing tiny, grateful kisses to his fingers.

 

“I think I understand,” Jinyoung spoke up. “I… you know how there were people at school who would always… harass me… and I was never asking for it, I was just there. And they’d try to tell me it was because I’m a hybrid, or because I was wearing skinny jeans, that I was wearing what I was wearing because I liked the attention—and I’m like, ’no, I’m pretty sure I’m wearing this because it’s like one of three outfits I have and the only one that’s clean.’ But at first I really believed them, you know, like maybe I was doing something, maybe it was my fault, maybe if I could be more normal, it wouldn’t happen. But then I realized it was just because they liked an easy target. There wasn’t much I could do to make myself less easy, at least until you, Jaebum, came along, but…”

 

Jaebum nodded in comprehension.

 

Mark was nodding, too. “I—I think that might be it. I feel…I feel gross. He didn’t even touch me, but I feel so gross.” Mark met Jaebum’s eyes, and Jaebum saw a need for some kind of validation there.

 

“I still want you, this doesn’t change anything. Well, anything except that I need to do a much better job at keeping you guys out of harm’s way.” Jaebum flashed a look up at Jinyoung too as he spoke. “It’s mostly that other guy’s fault, but we can’t control what he does. We can only control what we do, and the next person in line for blame is me. Not you, Mark, or Jinyoung—me. I need to be better at looking after you and keeping you safe. So I’ll change how I am—I’ll keep closer to you in the future, all that—and you don’t have to worry about a thing. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Mark agreed. His tears had dried. He wrapped his arms around Jaebum’s shoulders, tugging the larger boy on top of him as he laid back into Jinyoung’s lap. “I love you.”

 

“I love you, too,” Jaebum mumbled against Mark’s skin, tonguing at his neck. “I love both of you.” Mark found his mouth; he parted his lips easily, letting Jaebum push his tongue inside. Jaebum reached his hand down and clumsily unbuckled Mark’s pants, pushing them down as far as he could reach. “Jinyoung, do you happen to have lube?”

 

“In my suitcase.” The bed dipped, first down to Jinyoung’s side, and then Jaebum’s, as the horse hybrid left the bed, leaving a pillow under Mark’s head in place of his lap, and crossed the room to dig through his bags. When Jaebum lifted his head, Jinyoung was on his way back, lube in hand.

 

Now that Mark was feeling better, Jaebum also felt better. The only thing he had to do now was prove that he really meant that he loved them and thought of them as his and only his. He knew he could do that.

 

Jinyoung slicked one of his own fingers up and murmured something in Mark’s ear before carefully easing it into the older boy’s hole, supporting his hips with his other hand so he could reach under him. Mark keened softly, mouthing at Jaebum’s collarbones. Jaebum shifted to the side so he could open up Mark’s shirt. He ran his thumbs over Mark’s stomach, watching as Mark’s eyes fluttered shut.

 

Jaebum let Jinyoung work Mark open, just giving him reassuring kisses and something to hold on to when Jinyoung added a third finger, and then a fourth. 

 

“Please,” Mark mumbled. “Want your cock instead, please…”

 

“I need to make sure you’re properly prepped,” Jinyoung said, rubbing Mark’s back with his free hand. “If you want to take both Jaebum and me at once.”

 

Mark’s eyes rolled back in his head at the thought, and Jaebum’s dick twitched. He met Jinyoung’s gaze over Mark’s shoulder, and the younger boy just grinned at him in response.

 

Jinyoung added his thumb, and worked his hand in and out of Mark's hole, stopping at the knuckles. Jaebum kicked his pants off as he waited. Eventually, Jinyoung seemed satisfied with how stretched Mark was, because he pulled back.

 

"You first or me first?" Jaebum asked. 

 

"I was hoping you--under him, because you're stronger," Jinyoung said. 

 

"Okay." Jaebum grabbed the lube, leaving Jinyoung to soothe Mark's needy whines, slicking up his dick and laying on his back, pulling Mark on top of him. Mark lowered himself down onto Jaebum easily, giving a soft sob when he was fully seated. 

 

Mark began to move up and down in Jaebum's lap, clenching to magnify the drag, and giving low moans each time he came down--Jaebum assumed this was when he hit his prostate. He had his hands splayed against Jaebum's chest, and Jaebum reached up to brush the cat hybrid's hair from his eyes. "You feel so good, kitten," he whispered. Mark curled forward slightly at the words, all his muscles tightening as he hiccuped out a groan, not slowing his pace. 

 

Jinyoung shifted behind Mark, between Jaebum's bent legs, and pressed a lubed finger into Mark's ass next to Jaebum's dick. It slid in with little resistance, so he added another. He pumped them in time, adding a third after a minute. 

 

"Go," Mark said over his shoulder. "Want your cock, not your fingers, please."

 

"You don't like my fingers?" Jinyoung teased, pretending to be hurt as he prepped his own dick. Mark stopped moving so that Jinyoung could line himself up and push in. 

 

Mark's mouth fell open in a silent scream, freezing in place as he tried to adjust and gulp in air. Jinyoung rubbed Mark’s back, massaging his taut muscles, trying to encourage him to relax.

 

“Are you doing okay?” Jaebum asked worriedly when he saw a tear slip out of the corner of Mark’s eye.

 

“Yeah,” Mark choked out. “Just—just give me a second.”

 

“Of course.” Jaebum reached up, tracing patterns into Mark’s chest. “You’re doing so good, kitten.” Mark sniffed and nodded, a slightly smile coming over his lips despite his discomfort. Jinyoung reach around to tug on Mark’s dick, earning him a moan. After a couple minutes, Mark seemed to settle back a bit.

 

“Okay,” he said, sounding, to Jaebum’s delight, completely wrecked. “You can move.”

 

Jinyoung pulled himself out slightly, and both Mark and Jaebum hissed.

 

“Fuck, Mark, you’re so tight,” Jinyoung gasped against Mark’s neck as he pushed back in.

 

“You look so pretty like this,” Jaebum encouraged him, reaching up to brush sweaty bangs out of the eldest’s eyes. “Can you purr for us, kitten?”

 

“Can he what now?” Jinyoung asked, eyes going wide.

 

Mark nodded, opened his mouth slightly, and began making that low humming sound in his throat. Jaebum leaned his head back against the pillows, closing his eyes briefly. He knew Jinyoung was loving it, too, because he was mouthing at Mark’s neck and whispering things that Jaebum couldn’t hear, but Mark was moaning in response, so he could at least guess.

 

Jaebum fell into time with Jinyoung’s slow thrusts, Mark still purring above him, though he was stuttering a bit now. Jaebum snapped his hips up into Mark, and before long Mark was only feebly able to keep himself from collapsing on Jaebum’s chest. 

 

“Ah, fuck!” he mumbled, breaking the purring to curse. 

 

Jaebum felt heat pooling in his stomach, his fingers scrabbling to find purchase on Mark's hips. Jinyoung placed his hands over Jaebum's, interlocking their fingers. 

 

"I'm close," Mark whined. "Please please  _please_!"

 

Jaebum slipped a hand free and wrapped it around Mark's cock, since Mark was too busy holding himself up to do it himself, still snapping his hips up in time, but almost violently now. Mark sobbed, but kept on trying to purr for the other two. 

 

"You're doing so well, kitten," Jaebum gasped out breathlessly.  _"Fuck_ —taking both me and Jinyoung—” 

 

Jinyoung's hips began to stutter as he breathed out strings of curses. 

 

"Can I come?" Mark asked. Jaebum look up at his wrecked face and saw a couple of half-shed tears clinging to his eyelashes. "Please?"

 

“Yeah— _shit_ _—_ come for me, kitten." Jaebum gave a particularly hard tug on Mark's dick, pressing his thumb into the slit. 

 

Mark released a choked out cry, arms giving out as he fell against Jaebum's chest, clenching around the two dicks inside him and coming between their stomachs. 

 

The pressure got to Jaebum, and he came with a weak thrust, squeezing his eyes shut and pressing his clean hand to Mark's back. 

 

Jinyoung probably came sometime when Jaebum was coming down from his own high, and they all lay there for a few moments, breathing heavily and covered in come and sweat. 

 

"Okay," Jaebum said with a groan. "Let's get cleaned off, I'm not sleeping like this."

 

Jinyoung pushed himself up with great effort, pulling out of Mark as he did so, and also pulling the smaller boy to his feet. Jaebum felt Mark slide off of him, and he finally sat up. 

 

They were all smeared with sweat, and Mark was covered in come. Jinyoung started the shower and they rinsed off quickly and threw on some pajamas. 

 

"I'm too tired to go back to my own room," Jaebum informed Jinyoung. "I'm sleeping here."

 

"Fine by me," Jinyoung said with a yawn. "Just don't hog the bed. Mark, c'mere."

 

After just a few minutes of cuddles and kisses, the three fell easily into a deep sleep. 

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Jaebum forced the hybrids into semi-presentable clothing, amid much protesting.

 

“You have to look a least a little bit together, otherwise they’ll think I’m not taking care of you,” he explained.

 

“What’s wrong with a tank top?” Jackson complained.

 

“You’re underarm hair is too long,” Bambam said. “No one wants to see it.”

 

“Yah! I am hyung, you can’t say it like that to me!”

 

It took a bit, but Jaebum and Jinyoung managed to corral them into an elevator and down to breakfast.

 

Mr. Park introduced his hybrids to Jaebum’s, and breakfast ended up being a rather merry gathering. Jaebum couldn’t help but smile at how well everyone got along. His hybrids seemed almost like Mr. Park’s hybrids’ younger brothers. Minseung came to talk to him, to tell him that there would be a car for him whenever they were ready, and that she had to go to prepare for work the next day. 

 

“Okay, Minnie, see you.” He hugged her. “Say bye to Jinyoung, too, otherwise he’ll feel neglected.”

 

Minseung shot him a cheeky smile. “I know, I will.”

 

Jaebum looked up to see the boys dispersed somewhat. Bambam was still chatting with Mr. Park’s hybrids. Mark had gone back for more food, Jinyoung was nursing a coffee, and Jackson appeared trapped in a conversation with a young woman. Jaebum almost laughed, but then he saw the girl put her hand rather high on Jackson’s thigh. He frowned as he watched Jackson laugh uncomfortably, but he made to move to push her hand away, nor did he stop her from brushing hair from his eyes.

 

“Okay, that’s over,” Jaebum muttered to himself, standing and crossing the room. He placed his hand on Jackson’s shoulder, but the younger didn’t jump, probably because he heard him coming.

 

“Hey, Jaebum-hyung,” Jackson said cheerfully, but Jaebum noted the hint of relief in his voice.

 

“Your owner?” the girl asked.

 

“Yeah,” Jackson said fondly.

 

“Jackson is so funny,” the girl informed Jaebum, withdrawing her hand from Jackson’s leg when she saw him staring holes into it. 

 

“Yes,” Jaebum agreed. “Jacks, we’re going to head out soon.”

 

“Ah, I guess that’s my call to go!” Jackson smiled kindly at the girl. “I guess I’ll see you.” He stood and followed Jaebum back to their table.

 

“Who was she?” Jaebum asked.

 

“I dunno, some daughter of one of your dad’s clients. She just sat down and started talking.”

 

“You let her touch you.” Jaebum tried to stop his jaw from clenching up in anger. “Why did you let her touch you?"

 

“Jaebum, I can’t just smack her hands away. She’s a rich human, and I’m a poor hybrid. Who knows what would have happened if she took offense and went crying to her father?” Jackson sounded affronted and hurt.

 

Jaebum deflated. “Sorry,” he said softly. “I just… I worry. I’m protective. Sorry.”

 

“It’s okay,” Jackson said, touching his hand. “I know. I appreciate it, really, but sometimes...”

 

“I should think a bit first, huh?” Jaebum laughed. “Yeah.”

 

“Are we leaving?” Jinyoung asked, looking up from his almost-finished coffee.

 

“If you guys are ready,” Jaebum said with a shrug. “We probably should; we have school tomorrow.”

 

“I’ll get Bambam,” Jackson offered. 

 

They all headed back to the room to make sure they had all their things, and then went out to the front with their bags, where a car was waiting for them. 

 

“Jaebum, are you going to take in any more hybrids?” Jinyoung asked him as they wove through the downtown streets.

 

Jaebum laughed. “I dunno. My mom might have a heart attack.”

 

“You do have two more guest rooms,” Mark pointed out.

 

“Yeah, but those are for, like,  _guests,_ ” Jaebum replied, eyeing him. “Why, do you guys have someone in mind?”

 

“No,” Jackson answered. “I don’t think so. Just like—in case.”

 

“I mean, in the case of an emergency—” Jaebum cast a glance at Bambam, “Of course I would. But I don’t think I’m actively searching anymore.”

 

“Fair enough,” Jinyoung said.

 

When they got home, Jaebum got his things together for school the next day. Mark was curled up in his bed later that night when Jaebum got out of the shower, already half asleep.

 

“Hey, kitten,” he said softly as he slipped onto the other side of the bed. “Need anything, or are you here just because?”

 

“I’m here because you make a good body pillow,” Mark mumbled, pulling him close and giving him a soft kiss. “No, just because.” He nudged Jaebum’s shoulder with his forehead, his cat ears tickling under Jaebum’s chin. “Love you.”

 

“Love you too,” Jaebum replied, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and kissing the top of his head.


	17. Chapter 17

Going back to school was kind of strange after a long break. The walk the next morning was tired and mostly silent. Even Jackson yawned sleepily and only exchanged a couple low-volume words with the other three. 

 

They all received a text from Mark at the beginning of second period:

 

_> > Hey guys, I have this block free, and I was thinking about going on a coffee run. Anyone want anything? I can bring it to you. I’ll pay._

Of course, everyone jumped on the opportunity, quickly typing in their orders before class began. Jaebum sent a couple hearts with his text, smiling softly at his screen as he imagined his sweet little kitten hybrid getting coffee for everyone at the shop around the corner. Mark even updated them, saying he’d just placed the order, and that the girl working at the shop was a fox hybrid.

 

It made class go by faster, knowing Mark was bringing them all a caffeine boost at lunch. Jaebum actually managed to stay awake—and take notes. He was feeling pretty good about himself as he joined the flood of students going down to the cafeteria.

 

But Mark was nowhere to be found.

 

“Maybe the order took longer,” Jackson said with a shrug.

 

“Maybe he’s flirting with that fox hybrid barista,” Jinyoung suggested with a laugh.

 

“Mark’s as straight as a Slinky,” Jackson pointed out, “so I doubt that’s the case.”

 

“Maybe something’s wrong,” Jaebum said softly. He pulled out his phone, and sent a text to Mark:

 

_< < Mark-ah, are you okay? We’re worried._

“He might not see it, since he’s carrying coffees,” Jinyoung said.

 

“I know.” Jaebum turned off his phone and turned on the ringer, placing it at the table beside his tray. “I hope he’s okay.”

 

“The shop’s like, what, five minutes from here? It’s practically on campus,” Jackson reasoned. “I’m sure he’s fine.”

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum mumbled. He tried to eat, but he felt too sick to swallow anything.

 

As they packed up, Jaebum tried to call Mark, but he was sent to voicemail. Jinyoung leaned closer to him. “Jaebum, it’s not your fault,” he said.

 

“I know,” Jaebum replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder, but he barely heard him. 

 

Jaebum headed to the library to work, but it was hard to concentrate as the minutes ticked by and he still received no response from Mark. Finally, he managed to settle in to his textbook, when his phone rang loudly, making him jump, and everyone else in the library glare at him. 

 

“Sorry,” he whispered, trying to muffle the sounds as he crammed his textbook in his bag and raced out the door, blushing furiously. “Jesus,” he muttered to himself, stopping outside and letting his heart slow down. He checked the caller ID—it was Mark.

 

“Mark!” he exclaimed. “Are you okay? Where are you?”

 

“Ah, so ‘hyung’ with a couple of hearts around it  _is_ you. He wouldn’t tell me.” Jaebum jerks his head away to stare at the phone as an unfamiliar (or is it unfamiliar?) voice crackles through. 

 

“Who is this? Why do you have Mark’s phone?”

 

“Don’t you remember me? Gosh, I’m a little hurt.”

 

  
_Oh_. “I’m afraid I never got your name,” Jaebum said, his voice hardening.  _That guy, at the party. Who wanted to buy Mark. Shit._  


“Call me J,” the man said. “As you may have gathered, I have Mark. I’m hoping we can arrange some kind of agreement.”

 

“You’re not keeping him.” Jaebum grit his teeth.

 

“I can pay you,” J replied, some sort of sickly sweet parody of soothing entering his voice. “That’s fair, right?”

 

“No, that’s not fair. Lives aren’t worth money. He doesn’t want to go with you. You can’t force him to. I can’t even force him to, even if I wanted your goddamn money,” Jaebum spat back. He found that his hands were trembling.

 

J’s laughter left something cold in Jaebum’s heart. “Kid,” he said. “We  _can_  force him to. I don’t know if you noticed, but he’s got ears and a tail. He’s a cat, he’s an animal. He’s not a  _he_ _—_ we should be using  _it._ Hybrids, they have to do what we tell them.  _We can force them to do anything_. Let go of your petty loyalty, that childish promise. What’s one hybrid in the face of a world full of them? You can get another.”

 

“I don’t want another,” Jaebum said. “I want him.” 

 

He heard the sounds of a struggle from the other end. 

 

“Get off of me, you stupid cat!” J said angrily, but it sounded faint. 

 

“Jaebum!” It appeared Mark had gotten brief hold of the phone. “Remember this: 176254. 176254, okay? You’ll understa—fu—shit—”

 

“You see?” J was panting. “They’re crazy. You can’t listen to them, can’t attach yourself to them. You’ll go crazy too. Maybe you already have.”

 

“I’m coming to get you, Mark,” Jaebum said simply, and hung up.

 

He turned the phone over in his hands, back resting against the wall.  _176254\. What does that mean? Is it code for something? The first letter of the alphabet is “A”… agfbed? Okay, clearly not. Is it a passcode? But to what?_  


A bell tolled faintly in the distance. Class time. Jaebum picked up his bag and smoothed down his hair. He’d have to figure it out when class got out.

 

_How do I know where he’s being taken? I don’t know anything about this J guy, like where he lives or what he does. I don’t even know his name._

* * *

 

_Mark’s POV_

Since he attacked Jay, he’d been handcuffed, blindfolded, and also gagged. He hoped Jaebum would realize what that code was for—he had a GPS tracker in his phone, and to access it all you needed to do was to go to the website and put in the code specific to the phone. 176254 was his. 

 

He doubted Jay would figure it out. He wasn’t sure he even caught what he said. Jay didn’t seem to like to listen to whatever came out of a hybrid’s mouth, even if it was useful to him.

 

The car stopped, and Mark felt hands (probably Jay’s) on his arms. He was pushed out of the car and up some stairs. He heard a door open. He was led forward, and then it closed behind him. Jay took off his blindfold and his gag, but kept his handcuffs on.

 

“I’m afraid those will have to stay until you get to your room,” he said, nodding at the cuffs. “You’ve proven yourself a little bit too feisty for my liking.”

 

“Sorry,” Mark said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. Funnily enough, when he was with others, he became timid and afraid, but when he was on his own, and knew that he was his only savior, some kind of anger reared its head and made him brave.

 

If there was any, Jay didn’t seem to notice. “I have one other hybrid here right now. He’s upstairs. You’ll be staying together, and I implore you to play nice. One note—this place is highly guarded, so if your human tries to get in here, it’s not going to end well for him.

 

Mark shivered, but replied boldly. “He’s not stupid. He’ll bring backup.”

 

“You really think he’s gonna go through that kind of effort to get you back?”

 

“Of course,” Mark said stubbornly.

 

“We’ll see,” Jay said with a smirk, steering Mark into a doorway. “Gyeom, we have a guest. His name is Mark.”

 

Hunched in a corner was the tallest kid Mark had ever seen. He was kind of skinny, and when he turned around Mark saw that he had scale-like marking around his bright golden eyes.

 

“He’s a snake hybrid,” Jay explained. He unlocked the handcuffs carefully, and Mark knew better than to try and jump him. “Well, I’ll let you get to know each other. I have some business to attend.” He waved Mark’s phone in the air, quickly backing out of the room and shutting the door behind him. Mark heard the lock click.

 

“Hey,” he said softly to the snake hybrid.

 

“Hi,” the kid replied, surprisingly. “I’m Yugyeom. And… you’re Mark, right? Are you a cat?”

 

“Black leopard,” Mark said, nodding. He cautiously sat down next to him. “How did you end up here?”

 

“I don’t really know,” Yugyeom said. “I only got here like a week ago.”

 

“Oh,” Mark said. “Um, did he take you from school, or…?”

 

“I woke up in his car,” Yugyeom said, frowning. “He said that my house was burning and that my parents were dead, and he just got me out in time. I saw the news the next morning—there was this huge fire at my house.” 

 

“I-I’m sorry.”

 

“My parents didn’t want me anyway,” Yugyeom said softly. “I don’t think they loved me very much.”

 

“Oh.” Mark tilted his head. “Me neither.”

 

“Did you have an owner before?” Mark saw Yugyeom’s eyes trained on his wrist. He looked down, and saw Jaebum’s bracelet. 

 

“Yes,” Mark answered. “He didn’t give me to Jay. I was out getting coffee, and Jay just acted like I was a hybrid that had run away from home. And, you know, who are they gonna believe, right? No one wanted to get in the way.” 

 

“Of course.” Yugyeom nodded.

 

Mark shrugged. “I think Jaebum—my owner—will figure out where we are. He’ll come get me. And you, too, probably, if you want.”

 

“I don’t know.” Yugyeom looked around. “I mean, he treats me okay.”

 

“You don’t even have a bed,” Mark said.

 

“I didn’t really when I was living with my parents, either. I outgrew the little one they got me when I was a kid, and they just never got a new one.”

 

“At Jaebum’s house, each of us have our own room, our own bathroom. He takes care of us, buys food for us, hangs out with us. He treats us like equals. He makes sure that we’re happy and safe.” Mark fingered the bracelet. “He’s so kind to all of us. I love him.”

 

“He treats you well?” Yugyeom asked.

 

“Yes.”

 

“And your rooms are nice?”

 

“Almost as nice as his. They’re like guest rooms, only we stay there all the time.”

 

“And he listens to you? Does he ever hit you? Or make you wear collars?”

 

“Yes, he always listens to us. And no, he’s never mean. Sometimes he yells, but that’s usually just because he’s worried about our safety. It’s really rare. My first night, I woke up screaming from a nightmare at like three in the morning, and it woke him up too.”

 

“Was he mad?” Yugyeom’s eyes were big.

 

“No,” Mark told him. “He comforted me.”

 

“He sounds really nice,” Yugyeom said. “I’ve never—I’ve never really met a nice human."

 

“He is really nice,” Mark affirmed. “I doubt he’s going to let this Jay guy go once he gets me back. So I guess that means he’ll have to take you in—if you want to.”

 

“I might,” Yugyeom said softly.

 

Mark nodded. He suddenly felt exhausted. He kept spinning the bracelet around his wrist as they sat in silence. His vision was blurry, and he realized that he was crying.

 

“Please don’t cry!” Yugyeom had noticed, too. He outstretched his arms to Mark. “I—it’ll be okay.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Mark said, brushing the tears away. “I just—I’ve gotten used to feeling safe, because Jaebum takes good care of us. I don’t like feeling scared again.”

 

“We’re hybrids, Mark.” Mark looked up and saw something cold behind Yugyeom’s eyes. “In this world, we have to be scared to survive.”

 

* * *

 

_Jaebum’s POV_

“You’re joking,” Jackson said as soon as Jaebum was done telling them what happened. Jaebum just looked at him. “Okay, you’re not joking.”

 

“176354…” Jinyoung muttered. “What’s that supposed to be? An identification number? Did Mark's parents get him tagged?”

 

“It sounds like a passcode,” Bambam said.

 

“That’s what I was thinking,” Jaebum agreed. “But how will that help us find him? I have no idea who this guy is.”

 

“Doesn’t your dad have a guest list from the party?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Yeah, but there’s like a couple hundred people on it,” Jaebum replied. “It would take too long.”

 

“Good point,” Jinyoung conceded.

 

Jaebum’s phone rang.

 

“It’s J,” he told the other three, sliding to answer. “What.”

 

“Payment,” J said. “We have to meet somewhere so I can give you the money.”

 

“I don’t want your money.”

 

“I can’t just take him for free. Especially not one like Mark. He’s worth millions.”

 

“He’s worth more than millions,” Jaebum said. “I’m going to come get him, and if I see as much as a scratch on him, I’m not gonna be happy.”

 

Jinyoung slid a pad with writing on it over to Jaebum. He read quickly:  _Set up a meeting with him. At least then you’ll get to speak to him face to face._  


“—best done in person,” J was saying. “C’mon, we live in the same city. Granted it’s a big one, but I know you can get anywhere. Do you know Buzz Cafe?”

 

“Yes.” It was a pretty high-end coffee shop, but run by a rather corrupt man. Jaebum was almost not surprised that J wanted to meet there.

 

“This Thursday night, does that sound good? Five thirty, say.”

 

“Fine. Since this is a business deal, you have to bring the two things that are being exchanged. Make sure Mark is there.”

 

“Just to have you steal him back and run away? I’m not stu—”

 

“Bring Mark or I’m not coming,” Jaebum said coldly.

 

Something in his voice must have convinced J. “Alright, have it your way.”

 

“Five thirty,” Jaebum repeated.

 

“Thursday,” J agreed. “See you then.” The line clicked.

 

“Asshole,” Jaebum muttered. “Okay, we need a plan. There is no way in hell I’m bringing any of you with me, because he would take all of you if he could. I’ll ask my dad to send security down here to keep watch over you guys while I’m gone. Don’t worry, they’re nice,” he added at Bambam’s concerned look. "They used to babysit me when I was a kid.”

 

“You can’t go alone,” Jinyoung said softly.

 

“No, of course not. I’ll bring more security guys with me. If we could only find where he’s keeping Mark—we could send people there while he’s away to check it out, see if he’s got any more hybrids—but I suppose…” Jaebum glanced at the clock. “It’s getting late, and we have to go to school tomorrow, unfortunately. There’s nothing we can do now that will be of much help. I’ll call my father in the morning.”

 

“Okay,” Jackson said uneasily. Jaebum looked around at them. Jinyoung looked worried sick, and Bambam looked terrified.

 

“Guys,” Jaebum said softly. “As long as you stay on campus, he can’t get you. You need an ID to get through the gates.”

 

“What about me?” This was from Bambam.

 

Jaebum thought for a moment. “The living room upstairs doesn’t have a window. If you get scared, take a phone in there with you, and close and lock the door. If you can, drag the coffee table over behind it, or a chair so that the handle can’t turn. Or both. There’s also a closet in the room with a metal door. It locks from the inside—my dad is nuts and built a bunker into this house. I don’t know why, but it’s there and it’s useful now. Anyway, you’re small enough that it wouldn’t be too cramped. Give me a call if you’re worried at all, but make sure you lock yourself at least in the living room first.” Jaebum reached out and ran his fingers through Bambam’s hair. “You should be fine, though.”

 

Bambam nodded.

 

“Okay, let’s get to bed.” Jaebum stood, and the other three followed suit. “Try to get some sleep. If you need me, I’m upstairs, okay?” He made his way out of the kitchen. “Goodnight. I love you guys.”

 

“Goodnight,” the hybrids chorused back.

 

Jaebum was too tired to shower, so he just crawled into bed.  _176254… 176254..._  



	18. Chapter 18

_Mark’s POV_

Mark was curling up next to Yugyeom when Jay entered the room. “Mark.”

 

“What.”

 

“I just had a nice talk with Jaebum. We’re going to meet him at five-thirty this Thursday at a nice coffee shop—fitting, right?—so you have to be ready to go by five.”

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“He agreed to come discuss some terms and conditions of your purchase. He wanted you there.”

 

“He’s not selling me,” Mark said dismissively, but he felt his stomach drop, felt bile rise in his throat.  _No._  


“Uh-huh.” Jay began to retreat into the hallway. “Sleep tight,  _kitten_.”

 

Mark stared blankly at the wall as he fidgeted to find a comfortable spot.

 

“He’s probably trying to get you back,” Yugyeom whispered, touching Mark’s shoulder.

 

“I hope so,” Mark replied quietly. “Thank you.”

 

“Uh-huh,” Yugyeom murmured. “Goodnight, Mark.”

 

“Night.” 

 

Mark couldn’t stop thinking about the Thursday meeting. Jaebum wasn’t really going to sell him, was he?  _He must have some kind of plan. I hope he figures out the GPS thing. Jay might tamper with the phone, and make it so that the tracker doesn’t work anymore._  


When the sun rose, Mark still hadn’t slept a minute.

 

* * *

 

_Jaebum’s POV_

“Jaebum-hyung.” Jaebum started awake to see a dark figure hovering over his bed. 

 

“Oh my god!” 

 

“Sorry! It’s just me, please don’t wake the house yet,” Jackson apologized quickly in a hushed voice.

 

“Jesus fuck, Jackson, I almost had a heart attack.” Jaebum sank back against his pillows. “What time is it?”

 

“Like… five-something in the morning? You’ll have to get up in a bit anyway. But I was thinking—you know those numbers Mark gave you.”

 

Jaebum was definitely awake now. “Yeah?”

 

“What if they  _are_ a passcode?”

 

“How do you mean?” Jaebum fumbled around for his bedside light. They both squinted against the sudden, bright light. “Sorry.”

 

“We all have GSP tracking on our phones.” Jackson was shading his eyes. "You have Find My iPhone—Mark has something else. Often, it requires a code before you can see the phone’s location. Each code is specific to only one phone,” he explained.

 

“And 176254 is Mark’s,” Jaebum said, catching on. “Which one does he use?”

 

“That’s the thing, I can’t remember. It’s not the same as mine. I was hoping to ask one of the others.” Jackson stretched. “Sorry for scaring you. I had the thought and just kind of… bolted upstairs.”

 

“Were you up all night?”

 

“No, I woke up because I was dreaming about it, and then put it together in real life.”

 

“Incredible. Well, I don’t really want to wake them this early…” Jaebum peered at his clock. “Five forty-seven. Uh, I guess we can wake everyone. They’re probably be mad if we don’t.”

 

“Okay,” Jackson said. They walked down the stairs together, pausing for Jaebum to flick on the hallway lights. Jackson pushed Bambam’s door open, while Jaebum continued on to Jinyoung’s room.

 

“Hey, Jirongie,” he said softly, stepping inside. “I know it’s a little early, but Jackson had a thought.”

 

“What, do we all go nuts when Jackson has one of those because they’re rare?” Jinyoung grumbled. 

 

“No, he had a thought about Mark’s numbers—the passcode,” Jaebum clarified. “GPS tracking app. His requires a passcode for you to access his location from a different device.”

 

Jinyoung stood suddenly. “Oh my god, he and I use the same app. Where’s my phone?” He turned in a circle, his tail whipping up a little gust that disturbed the papers on his bedside. “Sorry!” he apologized to them quickly before diving into his bag. Jaebum held back a laugh. “Okay.” Jinyoung straightened. “Let me just pull it up… and the code is 176254?”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said. 

 

“Jaebum?” Jackson called.

 

Jaebum stuck his head out the door. “In here. Jinyoung’s got it!” 

 

“You found him?” Bambam asked.

 

“Yes,” Jinyoung replied, thrusting the screen at their faces.

 

A little blue circle pulsed in what appeared to be a residential area on the map on Jinyoung’s phone. 

 

“It’s him.” Jaebum breathed out a sigh of relief, some kind of giddy laughter bubbling out of his throat. “Oh my god, Jackson, Jinyoung, you did it.” He hugged Jackson fiercely. “You’re so smart. We can do this.”

 

After having a laughing fit, writing down the address, and calming down, Jinyoung led them to the kitchen and began fixing breakfast.

 

“I hope he’s feeding him,” Jackson said.

 

“He better,” Jaebum said, his face darkening. “I’ll call my dad during my free today. We have almost three days to get a plan in place.”

 

“We can do it,” Bambam said. 

 

“I wonder—”

 

Jaebum’s phone rang again.

 

“Why is he calling this early in the morning?” Jaebum mumbled.

 

“Put him on speaker,” Jinyoung suggested.

 

“Hello?” Jaebum placed the phone in the middle of the table.

 

“I figured you’d be up, since you have to get to school.” 

 

“What do you want?” Jaebum rested his cheek in his palm, propping his elbow up on the table.

 

“If you try to come here to get him, I hope you realize my house has the highest security. Of course,” J continued. “This is all assuming you’re smart enough to figure out who I am.”

 

“I don’t care who you are,” Jaebum lied. He paused. “Can I speak with Mark?”

 

J seemed surprised. “Why?”

 

“He’s probably scared,” Jaebum said. “If you let me explain to him what’s going on, he’ll be less likely to put up a fuss over the next few days, at least.”

 

“Makes sense.” They heard shuffling, and then knocking. “Mark?”

 

Some incoherent mumbling.

 

“Your Jaebum wants to speak with you.”

 

“He does?” Mark’s voice was clear. It sounded tired and scared, and it broke Jaebum’s heart.

 

“Here.”

 

“You’re on speaker,” Mark said softly, “and he’s right here.”

 

“Mark, how are you?” Jaebum blurted.

 

“I’m okay. I had to sleep on the floor, but he gave me dinner, so… not so bad.”

 

“That’s good,” Jaebum said weakly.

 

They heard Mark say something to J in Chinese.

 

“What did you say?”

 

Mark seemed to turn back to the phone. “Give me Jackson.”

 

“Right here,” Jackson said.

 

“嘉嘉，你们知道那个176254是什么东西吗？” Mark began speaking in rapid Chinese.

 

”知道。我们找到你了。星期四，嗯，JB的爸爸会帮我们－他说今天要给爸爸打电话。他不想［买］你啊，相信我－”  Jackson replied.

 

“相信。告诉他，这里还有一个蛇杂种，如果有时间一定要把他拿回家去。他的父母一个星期前左右去世了，他比Bambam还年轻，没地方去。第二个就是，这个坏人要很多他的人跟他去那个咖啡店。告诉JB重要的是要注意安全啊。” They heard some struggling in the background.

 

“Listen, either you talk in a language I understand or you don’t talk at all.” This was J.

 

“好，好。你也要注意安全，OK? 别害怕，我们很快就会把你带回家。Stay out of trouble, alright?” Jackson said quickly.

 

“Okay,” Mark said.

 

“I’ll see you Thursday, all right? Don’t worry, Mark,” Jaebum said. 

 

“Okay. Thank you.”

 

They heard a door shut. “Anyway, my point is don’t try anything, okay, kid?” J said. 

 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

He hung up.

 

“So what did Mark say?” Jaebum asked. 

 

“He asked J if he could speak Chinese, discovered he couldn’t, and then asked for me,” Jackson said. “He proceeded to ask if we knew what the number meant, and I said yes, and on Thursday Jaebum’s father will help us and that you will call your dad this afternoon. I told him you weren’t going to sell him, and he said he knew. He then said that there is another hybrid there with him. He’s younger than Bambam, he’s a snake hybrid, and his parents died about a week ago—Mark didn’t say from what. He says he doesn’t have anywhere to go, and if we can we should bring him back here. And then…” Jackson met Jaebum’s eyes. “He says J is going to be bringing a lot of his people with him to the coffee shop on Thursday, and to tell you to please be very careful.”

 

“Thank god for you guys being able to speak another language,” Jinyoung said. “Okay, well, that should help somewhat.”

 

“It sounds like he’s doing okay,” Jaebum agreed. “Thank you, Jackson—you’re like a detective or something, I swear.”

 

Jackson laughed. “More like, I’m Chinese and so I speak that language too and so does Mark.”

 

“Guys, it’s getting late.” Bambam pointed at the clock. “You better hurry.”

 

“Thanks, Bam. Hey, remember what I told you about if you feel scared, okay?”

 

“What if I call you in the middle of class?”

 

“What do you think is more important to me?”

 

“…okay,” Bambam said with a sheepish smile.

 

The three older boys bolted down the rest of their breakfast and scurried out the door, blowing goodbye kisses to Bambam. For good measure, Jaebum closed and locked the gate at the driveway on the way out.

 

* * *

 

At lunch, Jaebum found a quiet room to phone his father.

 

“Jaebum?”

 

“Are you busy?” Jaebum heard a dull roar of voices from the other end. It sounded like they were in the middle of a big meeting, and Jaebum had just happened to catch his father during a break.

 

“A little bit. Is this important?”

 

“Very. Mark’s missing.”

 

“Since when?” His father’s voice changed, and the noise of the voices dimmed considerably. Jaebum imagined his father had walked down the hall a ways.

 

“Since yesterday—I think I know where he is because his phone has a GPS tracker. I can send you the address—but the main thing is, the man who kidnapped him was at the party on New Year’s,” Jaebum said in a rush. “He harassed Mark and Jinyoung that night, and tried to pressure me into selling them. Mark went out to get coffee yesterday morning, but he never came back. Later, the man called me from Mark’s phone. He told me to call him ‘J’ and apparently he’s keeping another hybrid, this one underage. His house—the address I have—is heavily guarded, or so he says. I believe him. Anyway, he called me to set up a meeting to discuss Mark’s price—he thinks he’s actually going to pull off buying Mark. I have no idea what’s set his mind on that, but there it is. Anyway, I think he’s going to be bringing a lot of men with him to our meeting. It’s this Thursday at five-thirty P.M., at the Buzz Cafe, downtown.”

 

“What are you thinking to do?” 

 

“Well, I was hoping that we could get some security at my house—both for Bambam over the next couple days and for all three on Thursday night when I’m out. I would want to bring some with me to the cafe, and while I’m at the cafe, I wanted to ask if you could get some guys out at J's house.”

 

“Yes. The problem is, the process to get that underage hybrid out will be difficult. The world is so harsh to orphaned hybrids, and unfortunately they are everywhere. I will see what I can do—I think I can find a way that your mother and I can adopt him, and then effectively pass him off to you.” Jaebum’s father paused a moment, thinking. “The security should work fine. Shall I send some along to your house now?”

 

“That would put my mind at ease,” Jaebum agreed. “I did lock the front gate, though.”

 

“Can you call Bambam and have him unlock it?”

 

“Yes, I can. Let me know when they’re close, because I don’t want him to unlock it when they’re still in the city.”

 

“Of course. I’ll text you.”

 

“Okay. Thanks, Dad.” Jaebum tapped his finger against a desk, picked at some of the scratched wood. “Dad?’

 

“Yes?”

 

“I really screwed up, didn’t I?” Guilt Jaebum had been holding back with anger crashed over him, shame unfurling hot and bitter in his chest and stomach. “I mean—I’m supposed to take care of them, you know? I’m supposed to protect them, and now…”

 

“Jaebum. You couldn’t have known what would happen. Mark went to get coffee—it was that shop just a few steps off campus, right? You figured, just like anyone else would, that it would be fine,” Jaebum’s father reasoned. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. I doubt Mark blames you.”

 

“I wonder if he thinks I’ll really sell him,” Jaebum mumbled. “I would never, but—I just wonder.”

 

“He might,” Jaebum’s father said honestly. “But as long as you don’t, I don’t think he’ll hold it against you.”

 

“He must be so scared.”

 

“Yes. But you’re doing all you can. You can’t beat yourself up for things you can’t control.”

 

“I know,” Jaebum said, trying not to sound miserable.

 

“I have to get back. It’s going to be okay. We’ll get him back.”

 

Jaebum nodded, knowing of course that his father couldn’t see. “Okay. Sorry to call like this.”

 

“It’s fine. Stay safe.”

 

“I will,” Jaebum promised.

 

Jaebum turned the phone over in his hands a few times before calling his house.

 

“Hello?” Bambam said, sounding terrified.

 

“Bambam-ah, it’s me.”

 

“Jaebum-hyung! You scared me.”

 

“Sorry, baby,” Jaebum soothed. “Listen, I’m having some of my dad’s security guys come to the house, but you’re going to need to let at least a few in the front gate so they can watch the back of the house. I’ll call you when they’re close so you can greet them, okay?"

 

“Okay,” Bambam agreed. “So you called your dad?”

 

“Yep. He seems worried, but—so are we all, I suppose. He says that getting the other hybrid out might be kind of hard because we don’t know the story behind it, and an orphaned hybrid…well,” Jaebum realized, “you know. You would know.”

 

“Yeah,” Bambam said sadly.

 

“Hey,” Jaebum added, trying to cheer him up a little. “Did you see the little notes I left around the house?”

 

“Oohhh, was that what that sticky note covered in hearts was?” Bambam asked. “I found it in the refrigerator.”

 

“Uh-huh,” Jaebum said. “There’s like, at least twenty more hiding around the house. I don’t know if you want to go look for them—”

 

“I do want to go look for them.”

 

“Okay, silly,” Jaebum said, smiling. “I’ll call you again when my dad texts to say they’re close. See how many you can find before then, but keep a phone handy.” 

 

“Will do!”

 

“Alright, Bam, talk in a bit.”

 

“Yep!” The line clicked.

 

  
_Well, at least he’s doing okay._ Jaebum set down his phone and looked out the window. His thoughts drifted to Mark—he couldn’t help worrying. He’d sounded alright in the phone call, and as crazy as J was, Jaebum doubted he would hurt something so important to him. If Mark was precious enough to steal, surely J wouldn’t want to damage him—right?

 

Jaebum could only hope. Guilt was gnawing its way through his stomach and up his ribs. It was nearing one, past lunch already, really, but Jaebum didn’t even feel a little bit hungry. The more he thought, the worst it grew. He rested his hands against his chest and collarbone, crossed over each other slightly, his fingertips just reaching the base of his throat. He tried to convince himself to breathe. 

 

His phone buzzed, knocking him out of his stupor and scaring him half to death in the process. It was his father, letting him know the security would arrive at his house in about five minutes.

 

_< < Thanks dad. I’ll call Bambam._

 

Jaebum tapped to his phone and redialed the last number.

 

“Are they close?” Bambam said as soon as he picked up.

 

“Yes. Stay on the phone with me until they get here, okay?”

 

“Okay.” Jaebum heard Bambam rustling around. “How do you unlock the gate?”

 

“Theres’s a lock on the middle, which can either be unlocked by the remote I have in my pocket, or by typing in a code in that little keypad on the stone pillar to your left,” Jaebum explained. “The code is 0128.”

 

He heard faint beeping as Bambam entered the code. 

 

“Okay, it says unlocked. Oh, I see a couple company cars down the road. Should I open the gate?” Bambam asked.

 

“Yeah, go ahead.”

 

There was some sounds of metal scraping and then car doors opening and closing.

 

“Are you Bambam?” Jaebum heard a female voice ask.

 

“Yes,” Bambam said. “Jaebum,” he added to the phone, “would you like to speak with them?”

 

“Actually, yeah,” Jaebum said, shifting in his seat.

 

“Jaebum-ssi?” It was the same female voice. “It’s Seoyeon.”

 

“Seoyeon-noona!” She was Jaebum’s father’s secretary, just a few years older than Jaebum’s sister, and often came over to help babysit when Jaebum was younger and Minseung had been busy. “Will you be staying as well?”

 

“Yes, your father asked me to.”

 

“I’m sorry to inconvenience you,” Jaebum apologized quickly.

 

Seoyeon laughed. “Oh, don’t worry. It gets me out of the office for a bit, at any rate.”

 

“If Bambam is any trouble, let me know.”

 

“ _Hyung!”_ He heard Bambam say in the background, shocked and indignant. “I’m  _never_ trouble.”

 

“Uh-huh. I’m serious, noona, tell me.”

 

“I will.” Jaebum could hear her smile.

 

“Okay, thank you so much. Bambam-ah?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Be good. Stay safe. We’ll all be home soon.”

 

“Okay, hyung. See you.”

 

“See you. Thanks again, Seoyeon-noona!”

 

“Sure thing.”

 

Jaebum drew the phone away from his ear and hung up.

 

Somewhere, a bell rang.

 

“Ah, shit,” Jaebum mumbled to himself, stowing his phone in his pocket, and standing to stretch out his stiff limbs. “Class.” Reluctantly, he gathered his bag and hurried out of the classroom.


	19. Chapter 19

_Mark’s POV_

Jay didn’t attend to them much. He fed them and gave them clean clothes, but they didn’t see much of him. Mark was a bit confused at first as to why someone would go to such great lengths to kidnap him, only to pay little attention to him. However, given that Jay wasn’t pulling him this way and that, Mark had time to think. In the end, he figured there were two probable explanations for Jay’s behavior. One, Jay was simply too busy at the moment trying to sort things out with Jaebum. Two, it was very possible that Jay wanted the hybrids as ornaments, as opposed to companions or even servants. Mark was starting to get the feeling that Jay was the kind of person to do things for the aesthetic of them, rather than for a concrete purpose. Even so, kidnapping hybrids was a bit extreme, in Mark’s opinion. Still, it was, though uncommon, not unheard of that people would kidnap other people’s hybrids simply because they could.

 

The weather turned on Wednesday, going from clear and cold to wet and freezing. Dark grey clouds lay as a heavy canopy in the sky, and huge drops of rain splashed down in what seemed an endless torrent. Overall, it made everything feel gloomier. Jay dropped off more blankets at their room that afternoon, along with a reminder of his and Mark’s appointment with Jaebum the following day.

 

“Well, at least he cares a bit about our health,” Mark muttered once the door was closed, passing a couple of the blankets to Yugyeom.

 

“I think he doesn’t want us sick, because then he might catch it, and still have to care for us on top of being ill,” Yugyeom suggested astutely, a sour look on his face.

 

Mark gave a humorless laugh of agreement.

 

After dinner, Yugyeom lay on his back while Mark figured out how to arrange his blankets.

 

“Tell me about everyone,” Yugyeom said abruptly. “What are the other hybrids like?”

 

“Well,” Mark said, a little surprised. “There’s Jackson, a wolf hybrid. He and I are both Chinese, but he’s very different from me. He’s loud and funny and sometimes even a little bit annoying, but…” Mark smiled. “He has a good heart, and he’s very smart.

 

“Then there’s Bambam, who’s just a little older than you. He’s Thai and a ginger cat hybrid. He may seem sweet and innocent, but he’s… he’s kind of a meme, really.” Yugyeom laughed at this. “But again, he’s really loving and kind. He’s still too young to go the the university,” Mark continued. “So he stays at home all day, by himself. He’s an orphan, like you. Jaebum and Jackson found him getting beat up in an alley, so Jaebum brought him home and took him in.

 

“Just recently, Jinyoung joined us. He’s a horse hybrid. He and Jaebum actually knew each other when they were younger. Jinyoung’s parents are also gone, and he was getting bullied and harassed at school. Jaebum, Jackson, and I intervened.” Mark tugged at a loose thread on his sleeve. “He had a little adjustment period, but everything’s back to normal now. And um… yeah. That’s it. That’s us.”

 

Yugyeom was quiet for a moment. “Mark-sunbae?” he said finally.

 

“You can call me hyung,” Mark said quietly.

 

“Mark-hyung, then,” Yugyeom amended. “Do you… do you miss them a lot?”

 

Mark met Yugyeom’s gaze, a wry smile twisting its way across his lips. “Desperately,” he answered honestly.

 

Yugyeom made an unhappy noise. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s not  _your_ fault. I’m glad I have someone like you to keep my company, thought I am definitely not glad for the circumstances that brought you here,” Mark said. “I hope,” he added, lowering his voice. “I hope we can both get out of here. I don’t know, there’s something very, very strange about Jay. I don’t feel safe at all. I’m worried he’s going to… I don’t know, go off the deep end at any moment.”

 

“I get that feeling from him, too,” Yugyeom agreed, quieting his voice as well. “Mark-hyung… All your friends—they seem so nice.”

 

Mark nodded. “I talked to Jackson yesterday, he said he’d let Jaebum know about you. Jaebum’s parents will know what to do, I’m sure. It’s only one more day, really.”

 

“We’ll be all right,” Yugyeom said, a gleam of hope in his eyes.

 

* * *

 

_Jaebum’s POV_

“Seoyeon-noonanim is very pretty,” Jackson commented after the secretary had left on the second day. There were still guards outside, of course, but the house was much stiller than it had been an hour before.

 

“Mmm,” Jaebum responded absently, watching the rain lash against the windows.

 

“What about me, hyung?” Bambam sidled up to Jackson, resting his chin on the elder’s shoulder and giving him a plaintive look. “Am I pretty?”

 

Jackson snorted unattractively. “Yeah, Bam. The prettiest.”

 

Jaebum looked up just in time to see Jinyoung roll his eyes as he took a break from chopping carrots.

 

Jaebum was glad the others managed to keep their spirits up, at least somewhat. His own spirits were burrowing themselves ever deeper, farther and farther down, the closer he got to his meeting with J. He was anxious to see Mark again, but he was worried about how exactly the meeting would play out.

 

“I hope J’s keeping Mark warm,” Jinyoung said, nodding at the rain. “He seems like he catches cold easily.”

 

Jaebum nodded. “Yes, he does. I hope so, too.”

 

Yet, despite the appearance of things, Jaebum knew everyone was worried sick. He could see the bags under Jackson’s eyes, and he knew Jinyoung wasn’t sleeping either. Bambam was increasingly jumpy, and he had already been in the kitchen that morning when Jaebum and the others got up. Jaebum was unused to seeing everyone like this—both wide awake and exhausted, the alertness evident in every muscle, but with a heavy cloak of fatigue trailing behind. 

 

And still they didn’t go to each other for comfort. Perhaps they didn’t want to make things worse by talking about it. Perhaps it is easier to feel weak alone. Either way, they all said their goodnights early, even though they all knew no one had any remote chance of getting to sleep at a reasonable hour.

 

Night fell with the rain, and Jaebum paced his room. He had one small light on, nothing more, nothing that might keep the rest of the house awake or alert them to his deep unease. He knew he should sleep to be ready for the day to come, but he couldn’t. The minutes ticked by. Jaebum closed his eyes as he walked, trying to convince himself he was getting more rest that way. In his blindness, he tripped over his hamper. Clothes scattered everywhere, but one shirt caught Jaebum’s eye. It was Mark’s—actually Mark’s, not one Jaebum had lent him—slender and crumpled. 

 

He picked it up with trembling hands, retreating to his bed and sitting heavily on the soft mattress, leaving the rest of the spilled clothes in a heap on the floor. He stared almost blankly at the shirt, and then he curled over it, tucking his arms into his chest. His lips parted in a silent scream of shame and missing and fear, and a soft sob shuddered through his body, and then another, and another. His chest hurt, his lungs hurt, his ribs and jaw and fingers—tears pooled in his eyes until he could no longer see the shirt, and for the first time since Mark had been taken, Jaebum cried.

 

He cried into emptiness and into a certain kind of despair he’d been learning over the past forty-eight hours. He cried into thoughts of Mark never making it home, of broken promises, of wishes and regrets trapped in the hollows of throats, into the metal taste of his own mouth, sick with worry and self-blame. He cried into Mark’s shirt, balling up the soft fabric against shaking hands and shaking skin—

 

He eventually fell asleep, on top of his covers, still with socks on, sideways on the bed with half his legs dangling off the side. His tears were still wet, streaking his cheeks like rain on windows, the shirt still clutched in his hands. Heart still twisting. Lungs still hurting. He didn’t even turn off his light.

 

The next morning when he awoke, stiff and sore, he found Mark’s shirt damp in his fists. He stuck his nose in it, without thinking, hoping, maybe, that some trace of Mark was there.

 

It smelled like sorry and salt and love, and it shattered Jaebum’s brittle heart into tiny, terrible shards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aiyeeee I'm sorry i've been so absent..... sat subject tests were kicking my ass. anyway, here's a new chapter. idk what u guys signed up for here but it probably wasn't angst so uh.....sike!! I'm an angst writer lmao. as always, my tumblr is suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask if u wanna come yell (or follow me.... i reblog good content sometimes :D) thank you for reading and for your patience T.T OTL


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 20 chapters, how wild omg

“Okay, guys, listen to Seoyeon-noona and don’t give her any trouble, or I’ll kick your butts,” Jaebum warned, trying to use sarcasm to mask his nervousness. “If everything goes well, I should be back here with Mark around seven or eight.”

 

“What about that other hybrid?” Bambam asked.

 

“My dad will take care of him,” Jaebum promised. “We’ll meet him soon.”

 

The three hybrids nodded solemnly. “Be careful,” Jinyoung said softly, watching Jaebum as he struggled into his coat.

 

“I’ll be fine,” Jaebum assured him. "I love you guys. Try not to worry too much, okay?"

 

"We'll try," Jackson said, in a voice that clearly sounded as though he thought Jaebum was crazy for even suggesting it. 

 

"I...well. Yeah. I'll see you later." Not knowing what else to say ( _what are you supposed to say?_ ), Jaebum turned and headed out to the driveway, where a few company cars were waiting. 

 

The plan was as follows. Jaebum would go to the cafe with a few of his father’s security, and they would take Mark back. They knew it would be a struggle, which is why Jaebum would wait for a text from his father telling him they had gotten Yugyeom out and had notified the police. Jaebum’s father was already on his way to J’s house. Since Yugyeom was underage, Jaebum’s father could adopt him. As someone who already adopted and raised a healthy hybrid in a loving and nurturing environment, he was certified to take on another one, even from a more unusual situation such as this. They would all meet back at Jaebum’s house as soon as possible, where more security would be standing guard to keep the other three hybrids safe.

 

Jaebum’s stomach had twisted itself into a knot any good Boy Scout would have been proud to create by the time they reached downtown. It was a pretty loose plan.  _What if something goes wrong? What if Mark gets hurt?_ He found himself fidgeting nervously as the car drew nearer to the cafe.

 

Jaebum took his phone out and played with it in his hands as the driver parked about a block away. This way, the rest of the security team could get out without being noticed. Jaebum walked the rest of the way, rounding the corner and steeling himself before walking up to the doors of the coffee shop and stepping inside.

 

It was empty, except for a group in the very center. Around the edges were a few guards, and in the middle of the guards sat two men—one Jaebum assumed was “J”, and the other— 

 

“Mark!”

 

“Jaebum!” Mark peered behind him nervously, and, seeing that there were no security guards following Jaebum in, shot him a worried look.

 

“Are you all right?” Jaebum asked, trying to communicate with his eyes that backup was coming.

 

“Of course he is,” J almost snapped, answering for him. “I’ve taken care of him. Why don’t you take a seat?” He gestured to the chair across the table.

 

With no other real choice, Jaebum sat. He never took his eyes of J. In brighter light, he could see now that he had a ovular face and styled hair. He was handsome, but if Jaebum remembered correctly, a bit short. He was smiling like he had a secret, and Jaebum didn’t like it.

 

“We meet at last,” J said, observing Jaebum with an air of almost nonchalance. “My name is Jay Park. Now. How much can I give you for your hybrid?”

 

“I told you,” Jaebum said, clutching his phone tightly. “I don’t want to sell him.”

 

“Are you sure?” Jay asked. Jaebum saw a flutter of movement outside; his father’s men had moved into position. When they received the text that the police had been called, they would be poised to help Jaebum escape with Mark. 

 

“Quite,” Jaebum said coldly, trying to make sure Jay didn’t look out the windows in case he saw any of them. “I never intended to sell him. Trying to force my hand by stealing him won’t work. That’s not how business works. That’s call crime.”

 

Really, Jaebum was just trying to waste time now. Now that he knew Mark was safe, unhurt—he just wanted it to be over.

 

As if in answer to his wishes, his phone buzzed in his hand. He glanced down and just had time to read “Go. Police are on their way,” before his men burst through the different entrances and chaos broke loose.

 

“Mark, come here!” Mark didn’t need telling; he had already attached himself to Jaebum’s side. “You can’t just steal my hybrids from my and expect me to just take it. He’s mine. I have a promise to keep, and I will keep it or so help me God.”

 

Jay was frozen for a second, in the middle of the fighting, and then he launched himself over the table at the pair. Jaebum, in his surprise, stumbled backwards, but Mark seemed to have been expecting it. With a furious yell, he met Jay and shoved him to the floor. 

 

“Jaebum, hold him so I can smash his face in!” Mark called over his shoulder.

 

“Mark, I don’t think this is the best idea—I’m just supposed to get you out of here—we really don’t have…” Jaebum paused as Mark landed a solid punch to Jay’s throat, his other hand digging into the older man’s shoulder.

 

Jaebum had never seem Mark so angry. He didn’t dare try to pull him off of Jay, half frightened that Mark would begin assaulting him as well. He could only stare, rooted to the spot, as Mark became a blur of fury.

 

“You rotten—you piece of—absolute  _shit_ , how dare—Yugyeom deserves a good life—not a cursed one with you—taking hybrids—just because you can—because it gives you some kind of power trip—absolute psycho—I hope you’re given a life sentence—as if I’m the animal—I’ve got much more human in me than you!” These comments from Mark were shouted between punches and kicks. Jay was trying to fight him off, but unlike Mark, he didn’t have training in any form of martial arts, nor did he have the superior reflexes of a hybrid. His head lolled to one side, and he seemed to be out cold, but Mark didn’t stop.

 

Jaebum flew out of his trance, “Mark, Markmarkmarkmark, he’s out, you can’t kill him, you’ll be in so much trouble if you do.” He grabbed Mark’s arms firmly. 

 

To his relief, Mark stopped. He stood, Jaebum straightening behind him, staring at his fists, and then clapped a hand to his mouth.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I’ve never spoken to a human like that before,” Mark said slowly, beginning to look horrorstruck. “I’ve never attacked a human before.” He turned his wide eyes on Jaebum. “Am I in trouble?”

 

“Uhm.” Jaebum glanced at Jay. “You were defending yourself. I’ll—I’ll make sure you don’t get in trouble. You shouldn’t—it’s not your fault. You didn’t kill him, you just hurt him. Now come on, the police are on their way. I want to get you out of here.”

 

Mark let Jaebum pull him out of the cafe amidst the other fighting and into the cool night air.

 

“What about Yugyeom?” Mark asked quietly as they walked across the parking lot.

 

“My dad got him out,” Jaebum said. “He should be joining us, if he’s willing and all goes well.”

 

“Oh, good,” Mark replied.

 

There was an awkward pause.

 

“Mark,” Jaebum said finally. “Are you okay?”

 

Mark looked thrown off. He stared down at his bloodied knuckles and thought about it. “I think so,” he said after a moment.

 

“Were you scared?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You know I wasn’t going to sell you.”

 

“…I know.”

 

Another pause.

 

“Jay killed Yugyeom’s parents.”

 

Now it was Jaebum’s turn to be completely thrown. “ _What?_ ”

 

“He was the one who started the fire in Yugyeom’s house, he set it up so Yugyeom’s parents wouldn’t be able to escape.” Mark was trembling now, and Jaebum was starting to get a better idea where all that anger had come from. “He was the one who ‘rescued’ Yugyeom after their deaths. He didn’t tell him.”

 

“But…  _why_?” Jaebum asked, entirely lost. Police sirens wailed in the distance, but he hardly heard them.

 

“Jay saw Yugyeom at a dance competition a few months ago. But since Yugyeom is underage, he couldn’t buy him from Yugyeom’s parents. By the sound of it, they would have been quite willing to sell… well, anyway. He decided he had to have him…” Mark clenched his jaw, an ugly look crossing his face. “Maybe I should have killed him.”

 

“No, he’s not worth you becoming a murderer,” Jaebum said immediately. He rubbed his face, sighing. “How... how did you find out?"

 

“One of Jay's guards told me. Yugyeom still doesn’t know. The guard, I think he was trying to threaten me, like they were going to kill you guys next.” Mark looked up at Jaebum. “But it sounds like you took care of security.”

 

“Yes.” Jaebum tugged Mark close, pulling him up against his chest. “I’m glad you’re safe. I’m sorry this ever happened.”

 

“Everything happens for a reason,” Mark said. “If it hadn’t happened, we would have never been able to help Yugyeom.”

 

“That’s one way to look at it,” Jaebum said, trying to keep an incredulous tone out of his voice as police cars pulled up. A carful headed straight into the cafe. Another couple officers stepped out more slowly, saw Jaebum and Mark, and walked over.

 

“Are you Jaebum?” one officer asked.

 

“That’s me,” Jaebum said. “My father sent you?”

 

“Yes,” the officer said, removing his hat. “Do you know who that man is?” He pointed at the cafe.

 

“Jay Park?” Jaebum asked, confused.

 

“Yes. You know JYP Formal Wear, yes?” When Jaebum nodded, the officer continued, “Jay Park used to model for him, almost ten years ago.”

 

Jaebum stared. “What?”

 

The officer shook his head. “You are familiar with Mr. Park of JYP himself, correct? Perhaps it would be best if I let him tell you… well, are you both all right?”

 

Mark and Jaebum both nodded, mute with shock.

 

“We’ll clean up here,” the officer told them. Gesturing to the other officer, who was still standing beside the car, he added, “My colleague will take you home.”

 

* * *

 

Jaebum felt numb. He barely managed to mumble out a “thank-you” to the officer when she dropped them off in front of his house. His father’s security was still there, waiting for them, and the house seemed peaceful.

 

“Jaebum-ssi,” Seoyeon greeted when she opened the door. “Your father says they are wrapping up, and he should be home in no more than an hour.”

 

“Right, thank you,” Jaebum said distractedly, helping Mark inside and kicking off his shoes.

 

Mr. Park knew Jay. Mr. Park  _hired_ Jay. Jay, who was clearly prejudiced and possibly unstable. How? How had he not seen it? And how had Jay gotten into his father’s party? Did Mr. Park still keep contact with him, had he asked his father to invite him, had he let him in? 

 

“Did you know?” Mark asked softly as they made their way towards the living room, where they could hear the voices of the other three.

 

“No,” Jaebum said, his empty feeling increasing. “Mr. Park never mentioned… I mean, he has, like, a vendetta against people like Jay. How… how? And the officer said ‘used to’… when did he stop modeling? Why? Why is he back now?”

 

Mark shook his head. “I know even less about it than you do.”

 

“You know he killed Yugyeom’s parents.”

 

“Yes, but I don’t really understand quite how he did it, or who he is, or where…” Mark trailed off. “We have to talk to Mr. Park.”

 

“I know,” Jaebum mumbled as they reached the doorway to the living room. “I… know.”

 

“Did it go all right?” Jackson had launched himself off the couch and onto Mark. “Are  _you_ alright? What about the other hybrid? And J?”

 

Jaebum blinked. “Um… it’s a long story.”

 

“Shall we sit down?” Jinyoung asked gently. Jaebum flashed him a grateful look, and saw apprehension lurking in the back of his eyes. But Jinyoung just gave him a smile.

 

“To answer one of your questions, Jackson, yes, I am alright.” Mark took a seat as well.

 

“The other hybrid is with my father. They should both be getting here shortly. As for Jay, and how it went…” Jaebum trailed off. “When I got the text from my father, I told Jay I would be taking Mark back. His men tried to stop us, but of course my security guards were there to hold them off. Jay attacked us, but Mark… handled him. We got out of the cafe to wait for the police. And then Mark told me… told me…”

 

“The other hybrid’s name is Yugyeom.” Mark’s voice was solid and clear. The anger was not gone from his face. “He is sixteen years old, almost seventeen, and he was a dancer before Jay took him. His parents did not love him because he is a hybrid. He is kind and unassuming and very supportive. Just a couple weeks ago, his house caught fire and burnt to the ground, killing his parents. Jay took him in. What Yugyeom did not know at the time—what he still does not know—is that it was Jay who set the fire and trapped his parents inside. Jay saw Yugyeom at a dance competition not too long ago, and wanted to have him. However, you cannot buy underage hybrids. You can only adopt them if they are orphans. No matter how willing Yugyeom’s parents may have been to sell him, they could not legally make the transfer. So Jay killed Yuygeom’s parents and stole their child.” Mark took a breath. “I think he would have me believe that he would kill you, or at least Jaebum, too.”

 

Horror-stricken silence met this speech.

 

“Yugyeom doesn’t know?” Bambam finally whispered.

 

Mark shook his head.

 

“Who is he? J?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“The police officer that stayed to talk with us said that Jay—that is to say, Jay Park—used to model at JYP Formal Wear.” Jaebum’s voice, unlike Mark’s,  _was_  shaking. “Almost ten years ago. I don’t know the story—I don’t know what happened, how he got the job, why he left, why Mr. Park hasn’t said anything, how he ended up at the party—but that’s… that’s what we were told.”

 

“But this Jay guy… he sounds like such a… just… not someone Mr. Park would want anything to do with,” Jackson said, sounding confused.

 

“I know,” Jaebum said. “I don’t understand it either.”

 

The silence that followed was very heavy, and it was only broken by the sound of the front door opening.

 

“Jaebum-ssi?” Seoyeon called down the hall. “Your father is here.”

 

Jaebum stood and led his hybrids out to the foyer, where his father was standing next to a tall boy, who had scale-like markings around his eyes. His eyes themselves were a vibrant gold, and he looked very nervous.

 

“Mark!” As soon as the snake hybrid caught sight of Mark, he relaxed a little. “You got back okay!”

 

“And you got out okay.” Mark stepped forward to hug him. “Yugyeom, this is Jackson, Jinyoung, and Bambam, and this is Jaebum, our owner.”

 

“I’m glad you’re safe,” Jaebum murmured, reaching out to Yugyeom, who, to his surprise, stepped in to hug him too.

 

“Oh! Sorry.” Yugyeom leapt back and bowed quickly. “I should’ve asked first.”

 

Jaebum smiled. “It’s fine.”

 

“Jaebum, I need you to sign this.” Jaebum’s father held out a form for him. “It’s basically saying that I trust you with him, and that you promise to treat him well, etc, etc.”

 

“Let me go get a pen. Hey.” Jaebum turned to the hybrids. “Will you… all… go show Yugyeom his room?”

 

“Sure,” Jinyoung said, taking Jackson’s arm in one hand and Bambam’s in the other, tugging them down the hall. Mark and Yugyeom followed, chatting.

 

“Dad, I need to talk to you,” Jaebum said, accepting the pen his father had pulled out of a pocket. “The man that kidnapped Mark—Jay Park, he—”

 

“Used to model for JYP, I know.” Jaebum whipped his head up, surprised, and saw that his father looked very strained. “The police told me. I haven’t had a chance to notify Mr. Park yet, but… we need to have a conversation with him.”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum agreed. “And there’s something else.” 

 

He filled his father in about Yugyeom’s parents.

 

“That complicates things.” On top of looking strained, Mr. Im now looked very sad. “Well, break it to him as gently as you can, I suppose. We’ll get to the bottom of this. The first step, however, is not even talking with Mr. Park.”

 

“No?” Jaebum tilted his head, unsure.

 

“No,” his father said firmly, looking him in the eye. “The first step is sleep. Rest tonight. We’ll meet with Mr. Park tomorrow.”

 

Jaebum nodded. “Okay, I will. I… thank you, Dad.”

 

Mr. Im accepted the signed form and pulled his son into a hug. “This wasn’t your fault,” he said softly. “Get some rest. I’ll call tomorrow morning.”

 

“You get some sleep too,” Jaebum told him, seeing him out the front door.

 

With his father gone and a new hybrid to take care of, Jaebum could do nothing else but head down the hall to see how Yugyeom was doing. 

 

_I can’t tell him tonight. He’s had enough. I’ll do it tomorrow. It can wait. My father is right, sleep, rest, they need to come first. I’ll tell him tomorrow._

“Okay, guys,” Jaebum said. “Yugyeom, are you settled in? Do you need anything? Are you hungry?”

 

“I’m okay, hyung. Thank you.” 

 

“If you’re sure… I’m ordering all of you to bed. We’ve all had a long day and we need rest. Some of us need to be up for school tomorrow.” Jaebum eyed the eldest three. “Yugyeom, if you need anything during the night, please don’t be afraid to come upstairs and wake me up. I’m the door on the right, okay?”

 

Yugyeom nodded, and the group dispersed, saying goodnight. Jaebum caught Mark’s hand. He hadn’t properly had time to check in with him, to apologize for what happened. He felt fresh unhappiness and guilt bloom in his chest, like some kind of poisonous flower.

 

“What is it, Jaebum?”

 

“Come sleep with me tonight,” Jaebum said, gently tugging Mark into his body. “I don’t want you out of my sight for a bit.”

 

Mark gave him a sleepy kiss. “Okay,” he murmured. He let Jaebum lead him upstairs, he let Jaebum help him out of his clothes and into pajamas, he let Jaebum steer him to the bed. Jaebum knew Mark didn’t need it, but he was grateful that Mark seemed to know that Jaebum did. He turned out the lights and curled around Mark protectively. They lay in silence for a bit.

 

“I missed you,” Mark whispered into the space between them.

 

Jaebum made a pained noise. “I missed you, too. I was so worried, I—I couldn’t sleep, I was imagining—so many—just—if he hurt you, if he  _touched_ you, I…”

 

“It wasn’t like that. He didn’t really pay attention to us, mostly.” Mark traced reassuring lines into Jaebum’s palm. “I’m alright. Really.”

 

“I won’t let it happen again.”

 

“It wasn’t your fault.”

 

“I was supposed to keep you safe.”

 

“It wasn’t your fault.”

 

“You could’ve been hurt, you could have been  _killed_ —”

 

“Jaebum.” Mark covered Jaebum’s mouth with his hand. Jaebum stilled, closing his eyes, his brows knitting tighter. Even after everything, he still felt that he had to plead for forgiveness. “Listen. It wasn’t your fault,” Mark said firmly, and then withdrew his hand.

 

“Mark…”

 

“No.” Mark kissed him, tangling his fingers in his hair, pressing up close. After a few moments, he pulled back, but he kept his hand in Jaebum’s hair, a soft, reassuring touch. “I’m just glad it turned out okay. But it’s Jay’s fault, isn’t it?”

 

Jaebum shook his head, pressing his nose into Mark’s neck, letting Mark’s scent engulf him, letting their breathing fall in sync. "I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he mumbled over and over against Mark’s skin. He had to make sure. “Are you angry with me?” 

 

Mark sighed, closing his eyes, a sweet smile spreading across his lips and finally loosening the knots around Jaebum’s heart and lungs. “No, Jaebum. Of course not."

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

**(A/N) Hey so I can't figure out how to like, actually link things in the notes section but I can here so I'll link y'all to my tumblr ask box[here](http://www.suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask) just to make it easier ^^ **


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I am back! I'm still sorry! Thank you for your patience! Please read my disclaimer at the end~! Also, I am sorry to those of you who came here looking for Youngjae. He is last, and Yugyeom's arc needs to be done before we introduce him. I don't mean to sound bitchy, but please stop asking about him. He will be arriving very soon!! <3

Friday dawned wet and cold. Jaebum and Mark stumbled downstairs, greeted by equally bleary-eyed friends in the kitchen. Jaebum cooked for them. Bambam sat next to Yugyeom at the table, and the two youngest got to know each other while Jackson and Jinyoung huddled around Mark, checking his neck and arms and hands to see if any damage had been done. Jackson gave a little hiss a displeasure when he saw the state of Mark’s knuckles, but Mark shook him off with a soothing, “I did that on purpose.”

 

After a quiet breakfast, Jaebum checked his phone and saw that his father had arranged a meeting with Mr. Park after school. It said to bring Mark, but no one else.

 

“Guys, Mark and I are going downtown to talk to Mr. Park at JYP Formal Wear today after class, okay?” Jaebum said, looking up from his phone. "You two can get home alright, right?” He looked at Jinyoung and Jackson, who both nodded. “Great. Bambam, keep Yugyeom out of trouble. Yugyeom, keep Bambam out of trouble. Lock the doors, and don’t answer them. Stay inside. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Bambam and Yugyeom chorused.

 

“Good. Let’s start clearing up here.” Everyone rose, collected plates and cups and silverware for washing. “Bambam, come here a moment.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I…” Jaebum lowered his voice. “Don’t tell Yugyeom. About any of it, about his parents. Maybe not even about us. He needs time to adjust, and overloading him with difficult information is not going to help.”

 

Bambam nodded solemnly (it was strange to see him looking so deeply serious; Jaebum almost laughed). “I understand, hyung.”

 

“Thank you, darling.” Jaebum ran his hand through Bambam’s hair a couple times. “Stay safe.”

 

“Will do.”

 

Soon, they were headed out into the cold with their bags over their shoulders. Yugyeom and Bambam waved goodbye, and then closed the door. Jaebum lingered on the front step, making sure he heard the click of the lock before joining the others down the driveway.

 

“It’s almost the end of the semester,” Jinyoung said, his breath making little fogs in front of his face as he spoke. 

 

“Isn’t it strange?” Jackson said. “Mark’s graduating!”

 

Mark smacked a hand to each cheek, mouth in an ‘o’. “I totally forgot, it’s so soon!”

 

“Next year,” Jaebum said with a grin, clapping Mark on the shoulder, “you can stay home and babysit Yugyeom and Bambam for us!”

 

Mark stuck out his tongue. “I thought you loved me!”

 

“I thought you loved  _them_!” Jaebum retorted, messing up Mark’s hair. Mark aimed a halfhearted punch at him in retaliation.

 

Jaebum thought it incredible—even through the ordeal they had all just faced, they were trying to remain lighthearted. Maybe part of it was giddy relief that Mark was unharmed. Regardless, they were all laughing by the time they reached the front gates of school.

 

“Mark, you have a free period first, right?” Jinyoung asked. “Come with me to the art studio! I want your advice on a piece I’m doing.”

 

“Sure!” Mark agreed. “Ah, I just remembered… I hope seonsaeng-nim doesn’t kill me for missing class."

 

“Oh, come on, it wasn’t your fault!” Jaebum said, aghast.

 

“Yeah, but I’m a hybrid, remember?”

 

“If you need me to come explain, I will,” Jaebum told him.

 

“I’ll let you know,” Mark said warmly, looping his arm through Jinyoung’s as the two headed off to the art buildings.

 

“I’ll keep him safe, Jaebum!” Jinyoung called, noticing the worried crease between Jaebum’s eyebrows. “See you after classes, okay?”

 

“He’ll be okay,” Jackson murmured softly. “And so will Yugyeom.” He looked at Jaebum. “And so will you.”

 

“Thanks, Jackson,” Jaebum replied. “I know. I… I’ll see you later today, okay? Stay… stay safe.”

 

Jackson smiled. “Of course, hyung. You too!” Blowing an animated kiss, Jackson skipped backwards a few steps before turning and heading off to his first class.

 

Jaebum made his way to the classroom slowly, still turning over thoughts of Yugyeom and Mr. Park as he went. He still found himself distracted in class, and he knew that the end of semester was fast approaching, yet he couldn’t bring himself to focus. His teacher handed out exam topic sheets as class ended. Jaebum didn’t even look at his, just stuffed it in his bag along with his untouched pencil and notebook, swept it all back into his bag and plunged himself into the busy halls.

 

* * *

 

Jaebum walked the other hybrids back home, and then a company car came to pick him and Mark up to go see Mr. Park. Jaebum’s father would be meeting them at the shop.

 

The car ride was silent, save for the patter of rain. Jaebum stared out the window, Mark’s head resting against his shoulder. Jaebum had one arm slung over Mark’s shoulder, his hand resting on the cat hybrid’s chest, his other hand stroking absently through Mark’s hair. Mark traced nothingness into the back of the hand that was over his heart, gently running his thumbs over Jaebum’s knuckles, his eyes closed.

 

As Jaebum expected, his father was already there when he and Mark arrived. He and Mr. Park were in deep conversation in the lobby, which stopped abruptly when the elevator doors slid open.

 

“Your father has told me what happened. I… am sure that you are very confused.” Mr. Park gestured them forward. “Let’s go into my office. I will explain everything… or at least, as much as I can. Would you like coffee, or tea, perhaps?” Both Jaebum and Mark shook their heads. “In that case, if you will follow me.”

 

They walked past the suit fitting area, past large glass windows, to a comfortable, but dimly lit, back room. Mr. Park took a seat in an armchair on one side of a coffee table, nodding to them that they could take any seat they wanted. Mark and Jaebum sat next to each other on the couch across from Mr. Park, and Mr. Im chose the armchair on the right adjacent side to Mr. Park.

 

“Please excuse the poor lighting,” Mr. Park said. “I believe that it helps me think. However, if you find it uncomfortable, I can… no? All right. I’m sure you have many questions you are dying to ask, but please, let me finish explaining before you ask them. I think… it will be easier that way.”

 

Jaebum looked at Mr. Park curiously. Before they had arrived, he had been a little angry at the man, because how could he possibly have hired someone like Jay Park? But now, watching him, Jaebum realized that Mr. Park looked old and tired. The usually smiling man had a serious air about him now, and the lines Jaebum had never noticed before that etched themselves into his face were thrown into greater exaggeration by the lighting. Beyond that, Mr. Park’s eyes looked sad, almost haunted. Any anger Jaebum may have had vaporized, and he felt himself settling back into the couch, ready to listen.

 

“Around eight or nine years ago, back when you were a little kid, I had the idea to reverse the modeling industry in a way that might be seen as offensive, even today. Instead of using hybrids as the objects in ads, I wanted a group of hybrids to use humans as the props—or, rather, one human. I believe you met my hybrids at the party—2PM is their name as a group. Originally, they were part of an eleven-person group we called One Day, but they split into 2AM and 2PM. They also did not belong to me, but I bought the six who are 2PM. 2AM still models for me as well, they’re just not mine. Anyway, the seventh member of 2PM, you also met the night of the party. His name was Jay Park, or, as we called him, Jaebeom. He… he was so talented. I thought he was an artist. The others were a little more timid—less experienced and naturally shy because they are, of course, hybrids. Jaebeom-ssi was always so bright and confident. He would help the others see what was good in them, you know, ‘if you pose this way, it will show off your jawline, which is good because you have a nice jawline’ and so on. It was going very well for a year, maybe a year and a half there. They promoted well, and I thought, you know, we might actually be making a difference here.

 

“But then… someone found comments he made online from when he first came to Korea. He was saying things about how he hated it, how everyone was ‘gay’ here, how the culture around hybrids was disgusting. People couldn’t believe that the human that was the face of the pro-hybrid movement had said such things. I had no choice but to let him go. He apologized to the public, but when he came back from the press conference…” Mr. Park closed his eyes. “He threw all his things into a suitcase and told me that he had only been doing this modeling job because he knew that he was still in power of the six hybrids. He had them all under his thumb—the directions he was giving them gave him some kind of power trip, knowing that he knew what would make them look best, and even more, knowing that they knew it and would heed his every word. Even if during the photo shoots, it appeared to the public that Jay was in a position of no power, it was the other way around. He built the image because he knew it was going to be successful. He built it because he thought it was fun.

 

“It turns out, the other boys were a little bit scared of him. They were right to be. I’d never seen anything like it—he screamed at me, he screamed at them, he insulted all of us. He told them that they would never be anything without him, they everything they learned they learned it from him, and when he was gone, they wouldn’t be able to be anywhere near as good. He said that hybrids would always been inferior to normal humans. At first, I was so shocked I could hardly speak. When I had recovered, I shouted at him to leave. He stopped yelling then, took his things, and left the premises. But the damage had been done. The other 2PM boys were hurt and scared. They still perform well, but sometimes… I am not sure that they are completely okay. 

 

"Jay came back from the States a few year later, having made a successful career there, to see if he could, oh, I don’t know, re-forge our relationships. I didn’t let him. A part of me wanted to have him back, because he had been so talented and, or so I thought, sweet, but I knew better by then. He wanted to see the others, he said, he wanted to say sorry. I told him no. He got angry, tried to attack us, tear us down, but it didn’t work. That was just a couple years ago—I thought he was gone, I really did. I didn’t realize…” Mr. Park looked up. “I am sorry. I am. I didn’t think he would go for people who are close to me. I knew he was… not quite right, after that night six years ago, but I never… I mean, from what I’m hearing, from what I’m piecing together, he’s sick. He’s psycho.” Mr. Park’s eyes turned pleading. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. You have to understand, he was so charming and unassuming. And even after, I thought that would be it. He was quiet for a couple years, so I thought that was it. It was over, done. I’m so sorry that this happened.”

 

“It’s not your fault, Mr. Park,” Mark said softly. “You… couldn’t have known. I’m glad you told us.”

 

“What about Yugyeom?” Mr. Im asked.

 

“Yugyeom?” Mr. Park said.

 

“Jay met Yugyeom at a local dance competition a few months ago. He wanted to purchase Yugyeom, but Yugyeom was still underage. So, you know, illegal. I think—I’m not sure, as I never met them, but from what Yugyeom’s told me, I think his parents would have been more than willing to sell had Yugyeom been 18.” Mark took a breath. "Nevertheless, they couldn’t. I guess Jay didn’t want to wait, because a couple weeks ago, Jay had Yugyeom’s house burnt to the ground, his parents along with it. He got Yugyeom out alive. Jay was very careful—he hadn’t let Yugyeom see him during that dance competition, so Yugyeom never knew about him. He told Yugyeom that he had heard there was a fire and that the house had a young hybrid boy, and he had come to see if at least Yugyeom could be rescued. Yugyeom, of course, trusted him—what else was he supposed to do? His parents didn’t love him. He had nothing.”

 

“So he went with him?” Mr. Park asked.

 

“Yes. And then, Jay kidnapped me. Obviously, by this time, Yugyeom knew that Jay wasn’t that great of a guy after all, but he… he still doesn’t know about his parents.” Mark bit his lip. “I… I don’t know how we’re going to tell him.”

 

Mr. Park sighed heavily. “I don’t either. I suppose… all in time. We need to be able to prove this, though—Mark, how did you know?”

 

“One of his guards told me. I think he was trying to tell me that the same kind of thing would happen to Jaebum, but…” Mark shook his head. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe he was lying.”

 

“Taek-geun-ssi, do you know if the police rounded up any of Jay’s men?” Mr. Park asked Jaebum’s father. 

 

“Yes,” Jaebum’s father replied. “They got all they could find.”

 

“I suppose they could question them.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Well. Let’s try to keep Yugyeom out of this, then—wait until they prove exactly what happened before we tell him.” Mr. Im stretched, and caught his son’s eye. “I don’t like it either, Jaebum, but if we tell him and it turns out to be false… what then? You heard Mark, the man could have been lying.”

 

“All right,” Jaebum said resignedly. “You’re right. I’ll condense the story for Yugyeom—I mean, I do have to tell him that he used to model, and all that. I’ll just… I’ll just leave his parents out of it.

 

“Why Yugyeom, though?” Mr. Park asked. “Did Jay have any more hybrids?”

 

“No,” Mark replied.

 

“So why just him?”

 

“Maybe… maybe Jay was just getting started,” Jaebum suggested.

 

“Perhaps.” Mr. Im looked at his watch, and stood. “It’s getting late. You look tired, Jinyoung, and these two do as well. I think right now, it is best that we all go to our homes, eat well, and rest. Thank you again for agreeing to meet us. I know you are busy.”

 

“Thank you for listening.” Mr. Park rose to his feet as well. “If you need anything else, you know you are free to contact me.” 

 

As Jaebum watched, he saw Mr. Park’s face tightening down. The lines disappeared, the darkness lifted from his eyes, and suddenly he was the Mr. Park Jaebum had always known: a lively, cordial, and kind businessman, turned unreluctant uncle to the son of his best friend. The transformation was impressive. As the elevator doors closed to take Jaebum and Mark back down to the garage, Mr. Park even smiled as he waved them goodbye.

 

* * *

 

“How was your meeting with Mr. Park?” Jackson asked as soon as Mark and Jaebum had stepped foot into the front door.

 

“It was… illuminating, to say the least. I’ll explain to everyone later, okay?” Jaebum told him. “How were things here?”

 

“Uneventful,” Jackson replied. “Yugyeom’s settling in well. He and Bambam are already tight. I think Jinyoung loves him, but right now they’re having a friendly feud.”

 

“Sounds delightful,” Mark said dryly as they heard a muffled thump from the living room and Jinyoung yelling, “KIM YUGYEOM!!!” accompanied by manic laughter (presumably belonging to the boy in question).

 

“You call that uneventful?” Jaebum asked.

 

“Well, in light of what’s happened recently and compared to what happens around here normally—I would say, yeah,” Jackson defended.

 

“Oh my god.”

 

“What, hyung, am I wrong?”

 

Jaebum decided not to respond, and instead went into the kitchen to see what could be done in terms of dinner. “Hey… how do you guys feel about breakfast for dinner? We could use the waffle iron…”

 

“Ooh, sure!” Jackson said immediately.

 

“Isn’t that… I dunno, unhealthy?” Mark tried.

 

“Shh!!! Shh Mark didn’t say anything  _shut up_ breakfast for dinner sounds great!”

 

“Okay, okay!” Mark fended Jackson off. “Fine. Waffles it is!”

 

The three of them set to work. About halfway through, just as they were finishing the batter, Jinyoung, Yugyeom, and Bambam filed in to the kitchen. With everyone there, they got everything done a lot easier, and soon, they were sitting down to eat.

 

“So… what did Mr. Park say?” Jinyoung asked timidly after a few moments.

 

Jaebum looked around. “I was hoping to have this discussion after dinner, but I see that you are all on the edge of your seats, so…” He sighed. “Okay, then.”

 

He told them all everything Mr. Park had told him, Mark interjecting whenever he forgot a piece of the story. Of course, Jaebum left out the bit about Yugyeom’s parents, simply saying that he took advantage of Yugyeom’s situation because, they were guessing, he wanted to start his own group of hybrids. 

 

“What I don’t understand,” Jackson said, “is why he would think that you would sell Mark, after you said no?”

 

Jaebum thought for a moment. “I think,” he began, “that he was assuming that in the end, money would sway me. I think his idea was that if he took Mark away, I would get accustomed to not having him and realize that he wasn’t that special or something, and that I could use the money he gave me to just buy another one.” Jaebum reached over and took Mark’s hand. “Of course, he’s an idiot for thinking that. Mark  _is_ special, just as the rest of you are special. I wouldn’t trade any of you away for any amount of money in the world.”

 

“What about if… if we’re bad, or…” This was from Yugyeom. His eyes looked nervous, flitting between Jaebum’s face and the table.

 

“You’re allowed to make mistakes, Yugyeom,” Jaebum said softly. “I can tell you’re a good person. As long as there isn’t any malice behind your actions, there will be no need for—for worrying about being sold, or—or… punishment? Or anything. Okay?”

 

“I’m sorry, Mark already told me about you and everything… I just worry. Sometimes.” Now Yugyeom just looked embarrassed.

 

Jaebum smiled. “It’s okay.” He turned to the rest of the group. “Any more questions?”

 

“Yeah.” Bambam raised his hand. “So, are they gonna like, put Jay on trial or something?”

 

“From what I heard, it sounds like it, yes. However, I don’t think anyone really wants to drag you guys into court. I think they might need me or Mark, just for some questioning, maybe Yugyeom, too, but I think they have a lot of evidence already, just from Jay’s own guards,” Jaebum said. “I… am not a law student and so do not know how the proceedings really work. I’ll let you guys know, okay?”

 

“Do you think it will reflect badly on Mr. Park and his company?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“I hope not. I don’t… I don’t see why it would,” Jaebum replied. “I think Mr. Park can handle it though. I am worried about his hybrids, though.”

 

“This—this is just an idea,” Mark said. “But maybe we could meet them, hang out with them? I think it would be nice to get to know them—and it would be nice for them to have other people to talk with—you know?”

 

“You’re not wrong,” Jaebum said, nodding. “I’ll ask Mr. Park. But…” He glanced at the clock. “Right now, it is getting late. Four of us have school tomorrow, and we all need rest. If any of you need me, you know where to find me, okay?” Jaebum pushed back his chair, picking up his plate. “I’m glad you are all safe, and I am proud of how well you are all taking this. You have all been so strong and supportive, patient and understanding. I couldn’t ask for a better family.”

 

“Jaebum-hyung!” Jaebum only had a split second to set down his plate before Jackson made his way around the table to squish him into a hug. 

 

“Group hug!!” Bambam shouted, and before Jaebum knew it, he was on the floor underneath five hybrids, and they were all laughing. 

 

“I can’t breathe, guys, come on,” Jaebum wheezed, but he didn’t really mind. He looked around at everyone’s sparkling eyes and knew then that no matter what kind of hardships they faced, they would be able to overcome them, so long as they faced them together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha yayyyy for sapping endings! First, my diclaimer. I don’t think Jay Park is psycho or sick or that he would really do anything like this. Again, I am not taking sides on actual Jay Park’s departure from 2PM, I’m just using the general story to create drama in my own dumbass fanfic. (I’m serious about this ok the title of this on my computer is “let me live this dumbass thing keeps making copies of itself” because it kept on duplicating). The point is, I’m not really a Jay Park stan, but I like some of his music, and I think he’s an okay dude. I don’t really know anything about him, it’s just that his departure from 2PM was convenient for my writing purposes. Please don’t think badly of him or me!
> 
> Secondly, it was brought to my attention that each hybrid's circumstances are worse and worse as we go along. I would like to put your minds at ease by saying that Youngjae's situation is not as severe as Yugyeom's (I couldn't torture a smol baby like him kdjfk) so don't worry haha~! As always, thank you for reading. Again, if you have anything you want to see (for example: more smut. Um. It's coming. Just, with Yugyeom there and all that I felt it would be natural to wait a bit lololol) feel free to let me know. 
> 
> Thirdly, my tumblr ask box is linked [here](http://www.suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask), so please please don't be shy to send me asks or messages, or tag me in things. I am a friendly person and I would love to get to know all of my lovely lovely readers better. I'm on tumblr a lot :D so that's honestly the best place to contact me ^^
> 
> Fourthly, thank you always for reading and for being patient with my slow updates! Please leave comments~ <333 Love you guys and hopefully see you soon!


	22. Chapter 22

Yugyeom ended up being summoned to court to give a testimony. Jackson decide to go with him to keep him company. Jaebum would have, but everyone agreed that Jaebum ought to stay at home with the rest of the group. Jaebum’s father would be at the court, so they knew Yugyeom and Jackson were in good hands. 

 

Bambam and Jinyoung were downstairs watching TV together, and Jaebum went looking for Mark. He found him, unsurprisingly, in his room, quietly reading a book, sitting on his bed. 

 

"Jaebum," Mark greeted warmly, closing his book and setting it aside. 

 

"Hi." Jaebum crossed the room to Mark and pulled him into a hug, bending down so that he could kiss Mark's cheek. 

 

"You're not still feeling guilty, are you?" Mark asked. 

 

"...a little," Jaebum admitted. Mark kissed his jaw, pouting. "I can't help it. But... It'll go away with time." He shrugged, and pulled back a little so that he could see Mark's face. "Do you have some time right now?" he asked, nodding at the book Mark had been reading. 

 

"That can wait," Mark said, a little smirk dancing across his face. He reached up with both hands to frame Jaebum's face, and Jaebum leaned in for a real kiss. They nipped at each other's lips, pressing closer. "When are we gonna tell Yugyeom?" Mark asked when they broke away to breathe. 

 

"We have to soon," Jaebum said. "I don't know. But I don't think for a while."

 

"Better do this now, then." Mark gave Jaebum another quick peck. "Do you want to go up to your room? Less likely to disturb those two."

 

"Smart," Jaebum agreed, wrapping his arms around Mark and heaving him upwards so that his thighs were resting above Jaebum's hips. Mark just laughed and crossed his ankles behind Jaebum's back, allowing the bigger boy to lift him and carry him out into the hall and all the way up the stairs. 

 

Jaebum pushed Mark against his mattress, not even bothering to close the door, pinning his wrists above his head and kissing deeper. 

 

"I missed you, kitten," Jaebum whispered. "I would have... earlier... but things have been so crazy. I'm sorry."

 

"I missed you, too." Mark curled his back up, reaching to press his lips to Jaebum's neck and collar. "I think Jay thought he could really give me everything I needed, but he was wrong. I need you. I need everything you can give me."

 

"I'll give you everything I can," Jaebum responded immediately, bracing a hand against Mark's back. 

 

“You’re a sap,” Mark breathed out, laughing.

 

“And whose fault is that?"

 

"Mine." Mark didn't look at all apologetic. He was grinning ear to ear. 

 

Jaebum smiled back. "Okay, clothes off," he said. "I need to check that you really didn't get hurt."

 

"Oh, is that the pretense you're going to do this under?" But Mark didn't argue, and instead sat up and lifted his arms for Jaebum to pull his shirt over his head. 

 

Jaebum ran his fingers over Mark, keeping true to his word and really inspecting to see that he was alright. Mark trembled under his touch, and it didn't go unnoticed. "What's wrong, baby?" Jaebum peered into Mark's eyes. "Why are you shaking?"

 

"I... I was just remembering, I had thought I might never feel your hands on me like this again. Last week, when... when..." Mark closed his eyes. "I promised myself that if I really did get out of there and came back with you, if you were coming to take me back, the next time I would try to remember everything about it."

 

"If?" Jaebum asked, sitting down beside him on the bed. "Mark, I know already asked you this, but did you think I was just going to give up on you?"

 

"What you said at dinner a couple days ago, that we're all special... I forget that you think that sometimes. It's not your fault, really." Mark sighed, and stood and began to pace in front of Jaebum. "I don't know. I just heard that you had set up a meeting and I thought, 'what if this is it?' I don't know." He stopped pacing and looked at Jaebum imploringly. "I need you," he whispered. 

 

"I need you, too," Jaebum said, feeling like the ground was slipping out from underneath his feet. "I need you, you know that."

 

"I know, I just...!" Mark moved close, brought one of Jaebum's palms to his lips. "Aren't you ever bored of me?"

 

"Aren't you ever going to learn that I want you here?" Jaebum reached out and pulled Mark into his lap, cradling his head. "Do you need me to say it every day? I will."

 

"I love you," Mark mumbled, and he sounded frustrated. 

 

"What is it?" Jaebum asked, quirking his eyebrows in concern. 

 

"I don't understand myself, that's all. I need you, do you understand? I need you so much sometimes I think I'm going to die." Mark's eyes were everywhere. "Promise me I'll be okay, one day?"

 

"You'll be okay," Jaebum parroted. "You'll be okay. Baby, do you still want to do this? Because we can--"

 

"Yes, please, have you been listening? I need you." Mark pressed desperate kisses to Jaebum's hair, face, neck. "Stay, stay."

 

"Okay, okay." Jaebum ran his hand up and down Mark's back. "I'm not going anywhere. Mark, can we try something?" Mark nodded. "I want to do this in front of a mirror. I want you to see yourself--see why I couldn't possibly give you up. Okay?"

 

"Okay," Mark agreed softly. 

 

Jaebum gently pushed Mark to his feet, then stood as well and went to find the lube, keeping one hand on Mark at all time, just to let him know he really wasn’t going anywhere. He guided Mark into the bathroom and bent him over the counter. He tugged at the waistband of Mark’s sweats, letting them pool at his feet before ridding himself of his own shirt. Then, he cracked open the bottle of lube. “I want you to watch yourself. I want you to see—this is just one of the many, many reasons I couldn’t let Jay keep you. One of the many reasons I can’t let anyone outside of this house have you.” Mark pressed his cheek to the counter, whining softly. Jaebum gave a shudder at the noise, slotting his body behind Mark's and leaning over him to suck and kiss at his neck. "God, see, it's stuff like that. You don't even do it on purpose. I'm shaking, do you see me? I'm shaking because of you." He brought a hand to Mark's temple, stroking his hair, before going back to the task at hand. 

 

As Jaebum slicked up his first finger, he watched Mark’s face carefully, watched his whole body, how he melted into the counter a little bit. He knew that meant Mark was letting him take care of him. Mark’s eyes met his in the mirror, and he gave him a soft smile, which, to his delight, Mark returned. It was a little weak in comparison to the blinding smiles he was used to (blinding mostly because Mark’s teeth were perfect and honestly, what the fuck was up with  _that_?), but it was a smile all the same, which meant progress. Progress was good. 

 

He tapped one of Mark’s cheeks, kind of near his hole, just to inform him of his intentions, before he carefully wriggled his first finger in. Mark sighed, letting his mouth open a little bit. Jaebum worked his finger in and out of Mark until he felt him relax, until it felt easy. Then, he added finger number two, and then finger number three. 

 

“I think I’m ready,” Mark said in a small voice.

 

“Okay. I dunno, I’m always kind of afraid of ripping you in half.”

 

“Don’t flatter yourself too much. You’re not  _that_ big.”

 

“Ouch. Noted.”  _If he can still sass me, I think we’re doing okay._  


 

Jaebum squirted some lube onto his hand and spread it over his hardening dick, adding a little extra in and around Mark’s hole. 

 

“Okay, ready for me?” Mark nodded. “Okay. Remember to watch yourself. Don’t watch me. You can see me any old time.”

 

“Yeah, but I love you.”

 

“Are you implying that you don’t love yourself?”

 

“No,” Mark hummed. “Yes, I’ll watch myself. Please fuck me.”

 

Jaebum smirked, and pushed into him without warning. Mark gave a little squeal, gripping the counter with the pads of his fingers and doing his best to keep his eyes on himself in the mirror as Jaebum pulled out slowly and then pushed back in. Slowly, Jaebum built up the pace until they were going at something on the sweaty side of comfortable. Mark let himself be pushed back and forth on the countertop, his cock smearing the side of the counter with precome. Jaebum watched as his eyes would flutter closed, and then he’d kind of jump and snap them open again.

 

“You’re being so good,” Jaebum panted out. “Keep watching yourself, you look so good, Mark-ah.”

 

“Shit,” Mark groaned, and Jaebum wasn’t entirely sure if it was a response to praise, or if it was realization that he looked absolutely delicious. Or both.  _Kinda hope it’s both._ “Jaebum—Jaebum, please go faster. I—oh, fuCK!”

 

Jaebum had changed his angle at the same time that he picked up speed, and had successfully rammed into Mark’s prostate. He could tell by how white Mark’s hand was pressed up against the mirror. Mark closed his eyes then, soaking in the feeling and letting out wanton moans, his hair getting more and more disheveled. Jaebum knew Mark looked great in a suit, but he thought he looked best like this, wrecked and sobbing. Jaebum felt something swell up in his chest until he was more worried about his heart bursting than his dick (though both, he could assure anyone, were highly probable.

 

Mark reopened his eyes, and, instead of watching himself, found Jaebum’s eyes in the mirror and gazed at him in a special kind of fucked-out adoration, still giving little gasps and moans that had Jaebum’s hips and heart stuttering. He smiled back at Mark, mission of making Mark see how good he looked momentarily forgotten. Strangely, a stinging appeared behind his eyes. Mark didn’t notice, what was probably good since Jaebum was too out of breath to really explain himself in words, and he didn’t really know how to say “I’m going to be following after you everywhere wherever you go” with just his body.

 

It wasn’t for lack of trying, though. He bent over Mark, kissing his neck and jaw between gasped breaths, growling things in his ear like, “ I’m going fucking crazy right now for you, babe” and “Oh,  _god,_ you’re beautiful” and “You tear me apart, kitten, I can’t even think straight right now.”

 

Mark was coherent enough to respond to that last one with, “I hope you’re not thinking straight, seeing as the only way this could get any gayer is if you also had a dick up your ass.”

 

Jaebum covered Mark’s mouth with his own to shut him up and thrusted into him harder (which turned out to be a kind of poor decision, because he didn’t warn Mark and the cat hybrid almost bit Jaebum’s tongue off in surprise). The upside to this stunt was that Mark was no longer coherent enough to do much of anything except whine out a string of profanities mixed in with Jaebum’s name. 

 

“Jaebum—please—m’gonna come—ah, fuck! Fuck, please!”

 

“Please what, kitten?” Jaebum asked low against his spine, and Mark shivered, convulsing slightly against the cold countertop.

 

“Please— _shit_ —please touch me— _oh god_ ohgodohgodplease—” A tear worked its way out of Mark’s eye dripping down onto the counter as the smaller boy tried his best to stop from coming.

 

“Lift your hips for me,” Jaebum slurred, burying his nose in Mark’s skin as the other struggled to comply. “And look at yourself.”

 

“Jaebum, please!”

 

“You can do it, open your pretty eyes, baby.”

 

Mark did as he was told, and watched as Jaebum reached around and began jerking him off. Almost as soon as Jaebum touched Mark, Mark cried out a half-moan, half-sob and went taut, spurting white across the counter. 

 

“Thank you—” Mark gasped out as he slowly drifted down. “Ah, you too, Jaebum, you too—” and with Mark’s encouragement, how could Jaebum not? He pressed in one more time, Mark clenching around him perfectly, and Jaebum sank his teeth not-so-gently into Mark’s shoulder as he came to stop from shouting himself hoarse.

 

“I’m not gonna fall asleep on top of you, I promise,” Jaebum mumbled. “Give me a second.”

 

“It’s not like I can go anywhere,” Mark sort-of wheezed, so Jaebum pushed himself up, pulling out. Mark stayed slumped over the counter in a puddle of his own come, and Jaebum watched as some of  _his_ come leaked out of Mark’s ass. 

 

“Okay, clean up time. Good thing we’re already in the bathroom, huh?” Jaebum said, reaching over for a wash cloth. “Mark, you should get up before your come dries, because then it’s gonna be kind of uncomfortable unsticking yourself from the counter.”

 

“Ugh, you’re right,” Mark grumbled. weakly going into a push-up to stand. He swayed a little. “Oh nice. I can’t see. Jaebum, I blame you; you’ve fucked me blind.”

 

“Yeah, that was the goal,” Jaebum said calmly, knowing that Mark was just having a little head rush from getting up so fast. “Be careful, there, darling.”

 

“‘What did you do today, Mark?’ ‘Oh, not much, just got fucked so hard by Jaebum I went blind, you know.’ ‘You  _what,_ hyung?’” Mark was simulating a conversation that Jaebum assumed was theoretically taking place over dinner, likely between him and Jackson.

 

Jaebum just shook his head, going around behind Mark and back-hugging him while carefully cleaning first his ass, and then the come that was flaking on his stomach. He patted Mark’s abs affectionately as the cat hybrid’s gaze slowly came back into focus.

 

“You can see again?” he confirmed as he chucked the washcloth in the general direction of the hamper.

 

“Yeah,” Mark said.

 

“Drama queen.”

 

“Say that to my face.”

 

Jaebum turned to face him. “Drama queen,” he repeated before going in for a kiss. “You cold?”

 

“A little,” Mark said.

 

“Me too. Let’s get dressed.” He tugged Mark towards the closet, throwing a shirt and some shorts at him before picking out a set himself. “Are you feeling a little better now?”

 

“Yeah,” Mark said, giving him what Jaebum could only describe as heart eyes. “I love you.”

 

“I love you, too, silly,” Jaebum said, kissing Mark’s nose just to make him laugh. “I’m always happy to do anything that reminds my pretty kitten how much I love him, okay?”

 

“K.” Mark threw his arms around Jaebum’s shoulders. 

 

“Wanna go down to see how Jinyoung and Bambam are doing?”

 

“Jinyoung is gonna yell at us for smelling like each other.”

 

“Jinyoung’s just butthurt.”

 

“Well, technically it’s  _my_ butt that’s doing the hurting,” Mark pointed out, and Jaebum watched as he gingerly walked down the stairs.

 

“Aw, baby, I’m sorry. Want me to carry you?”

 

“It’s gonna have to be bridal style, because a piggy back is gonna hurt it even more.”

 

“Fine with me.” Jaebum scooped the skinny hybrid up and carried him into the living room, where Bambam and Jinyoung were still watching TV.

 

“Ew, you two stink,” Jinyoung said, as predicted.

 

“Don’t be jealous,” Mark said, sticking his tongue out.

 

“I’m not,” Jinyoung said with an eye roll, opening his arms to Mark. Mark climbed into his lap happily. Jaebum went over behind Mark, giving him a quick hug. 

 

“And how are you?” he asked the younger boy.

 

“Good,” Bambam said. “Kiss?” He craned his neck back so that Jaebum had easy access to his lips, and Jaebum happily bent over him to give him a kiss.

 

“If you’re going to start round 2, I would suggest to do it upstairs. Yugyeom and Jackson could be home soon,” Jinyoung said dryly.

 

“Says  _you_ ,” Bambam said accusatorially, nodding at how Mark was curled up rather suggestively against Jinyoung.

 

“Plus, I’m tired.” Jaebum grinned, hopping over the back of the couch to sit on it. “Sorry, Bam, I’m getting old and my stamina is not that good anymore.”

 

“Old,” Bambam scoffed.

 

The doorbell rang, and all four of them sprung up to greet Jackson and Yugyeom. 

 

Jackson looked a little tired, but still upbeat. Yugyeom looked kind of harassed, and Jaebum opened his arms to him. “How’d it go?”

 

“Kinda scary,” Yugyeom mumbled.

 

“Yugyeom did great,” Jackson said warmly. “He didn’t stutter, and he answered questions well.”

 

“Yugyeom, what’s your favorite food?” Jaebum asked. 

 

“Oh, I dunno…” The younger trailed off thoughtfully. “How about chicken?”

 

“Sounds good,” Jinyoung said. “We can just order some."

 

Jaebum called for takeout fried chicken, and dinner became a lively event of who could eat the most chicken. It left Bambam crying on the floor, and Yugyeom laughing his ass off at him.

 

“He doesn’t know about his parents yet?” Jaebum asked Jackson softly, pulling him aside when the others were doing the dishes.

 

“No, neither side mentioned it. Thankfully.” Jackson smiled. “He’s doing really well, i’m proud of him.”

 

“Do you know when the decision is announced?”

 

“Not for a couple weeks.”

 

“Well, I guess we just wait.”

 

“Actually, I talked to a couple of the court officials—they’re going to be releasing evidence about his parents really shortly, just because some of the public is like, ‘he’s underage?? Who is taking care of him???’ So we won’t have to wait too long to tell him.”

 

“Good.” Jaebum sighed. “I don’t like having to keep secrets.”

 

Jackson reached up and smoothed out the creases on Jaebum’s forehead. “I know,” he murmured soothingly. “Me too. Everything will be okay.”

 

* * *

 

_Bambam’s POV_

After dinner, the old people went away to sleep or read or do whatever it was that old people do. Meanwhile, Bambam set up the TV so that they could play some games.  _No Mario Cart, that ruins friendships._ They ended up playing  _Kirby Magic Yarn,_ which intrigued Bambam because they never played that one, and intrigued Yugyeom because it “looked cute”.

 

Turned out Yugyeom was kind of hardcore about the game, and it make Bambam get pretty damn competitive, too. Over the few days that they had known each other, they had grown quite close, so Bambam had  _no_ qualms with cussing the younger out if he pulled a dick move, and he knew that the only thing stopping Yugyeom from doing the same to him was because Bambam was hyung. 

 

“It’s getting late,” Bambam said finally, “and I think our yelling might be keeping the hyungs up.”

 

“I was thinking that, too,” Yugyeom said, grinning. “I kept expecting Jinyoung-hyung to come bursting through the door telling us to shut the hell up.”

 

“I see that you two have bonded well,” Bambam said with a dry laugh. “Okay, let’s bedtime then.” He set down his Wiimote and turned off the television. 

 

Suddenly, Yugyeom’s fun demeanor dropped. “Do we have to go to bed right away?”

 

“What’s wrong?” Bambam asked, reaching up to put his hand on his arm.

 

“Nothing, I just… I get lonely sometimes in my room by myself.” Yugyeom glanced at him. “I don’t know. I just—if you want to go to bed, that’s fine.”

 

“No, no, come to my room and hang with me for a bit,” Bambam offered. "Bring a pillow and your blanket and pajamas. The beds are huge, they can fit both of us.”

 

“Really?” Yugyeom’s eyes brightened. “You don’t mind?”

 

“I don’t mind,” Bambam said. “It’s not like you’re super gross or something. Like, oh god, ew, I don’t want to get too close to Yugyeom or I’ll catch his cooties. No, it’s fine. You and I have the same cooties. We’re both boys and we’re both hybrids.”

 

“Good point,” Yugyeom said with a laugh. “Okay. Meet in your room in like ten minutes?”

 

“Sounds good!” 

 

And so, Bambam became the second person in the house that Yugyeom had slept with—not  _with_ with, considering the only touching they did was to blindly try to punch each (which ended when Yugyeom almost took out Bambam’s eye), and considering they were sleeping under different blankets. Yugyeom fell asleep first, and Bambam propped himself up to watch the younger boy breathe. It felt nice to have someone younger than him to hang out with, he thought.  _I can’t wait until we can tell him everything. I can’t wait until everything is set right._  


* * *

 

The next morning, the others went to school as usual (Bambam noticed Mark limping a little and just about had an aneurysm from trying not to bust out laughing in front of Yugyeom about it) and Bambam and Yugyeom blobbed around in the kitchen, debating whether they were responsible enough to cook something without setting something else, or one another, on fire.In the end, they decided to just go with some easy microwave frozen meals for lunch, and then Yugyeom went to poke around Jaebum’s study to see if he couldn’t teach himself a little math so that he wouldn’t be completely hopeless if he ever took it upon himself to apply to college.

 

The phone rang as Yugyeom was coming back downstairs, rubbing his eyes and looking very confused. 

 

“It’s probably Jaebum,” Bambam said when Yugyeom jumped. “I’ll get it.”

 

“Hello?” Bambam was right. “Bam-ah?”

 

“It’s me.”

 

“Where’s Yugyeom?”

 

“Right next to me.”

 

“Okay, good, don’t let him hear this.” 

 

“Okay.” Bambam lifted his head to look at Yugyeom, but Yugyeom was looking at the photos on the fridge and didn’t appear to notice that his name had come up. Still, just to be sure, Bambam backed away, putting some more distance between them. “What is it?”

 

“They released the news about his parents—definitely enough testimony against Jay that he purposefully burned Yugyeom’s parents’ house down to get Yugyeom.” Jaebum let out a heavy sigh. “We’re all going to talk at dinner—stay away from the TV and the internet until we get home, okay?”

 

“Will do, hyung.”

 

“Tell him I was just telling you to wash some bok choy,” Jaebum said. “Which reminds me—wash some bok choy before we get home. Remember to tear it with your hands. Don’t use a knife because it does weird stuff to the bok choy.”

 

“Got it. Have a good rest of your day, hyung.”

 

“You too. Wait, put me on speaker a second.” Bambam did as he was told. “Hey, Yugyeom-ah! You have a good rest of your day also!”

 

“Thanks, Jaebum-hyung!” Yugyeom called sweetly. 

 

“Okay, bye.” Jaebum hung up.

 

“What was that about?” Yugyeom asked.

 

Bambam hesitated for just an instant, trying to clear traces of sadness off of his own face before he replied. “He wants us to wash some bok choy.”

 

Yugyeom wrinkled his nose in fake disgust. “Ew, veggies,” he joked, and Bambam smiled sort of at him until he turned away.  _Tonight isn’t going to be good,_ he thought.  _Tonight isn’t going to be good at all._  


* * *

 

_Jaebum’s POV_

His heart felt so heavy walking home. The other three knew as well, and there was pretty much no conversation as they trudged through mid-January slush. 

 

“How are we going to tell him?” Jackson asked finally.

 

“I’m just going to sit him down… and tell him the truth. That we had reason to be suspicious, but we didn’t want to tell him if we were wrong because that would just be traumatic and scary… and just hope he takes it well.” Jaebum rubbed his face. “Hey, on the bright side, at least now we don’t have to keep tiptoeing around the subject.”

 

“Mm,” Mark agreed. 

 

“At least now for sure Jay’s out of the picture,” Jinyoung said darkly, taking Mark’s arm.

 

“That too,” Jaebum said, nodding in agreement. “That too.”

 

“Hi, hyungs,” Bambam greeted them stoically at the door. “We washed the bok choy.”

 

“Thank you, baby,” Jaebum murmured so that Yugyeom couldn’t hear (not that he was paying attention—he and Mark were mobbing each other with hugs). “Really. I know it must have been hard to act all normal around him. I’m really proud of you.” Jaebum petted Bambam’s ears. “Thank you.”

 

“You’re welcome,” Bambam breathed out softly.

 

If Yugyeom noticed that everyone was tense making dinner, he didn’t say anything. They all sat down to eat, but there was no laughing and talking. Eventually, Jaebum set down his fork, firmly enough that everyone else looked up.

 

“Yugyeom,” Jaebum said, not looking at the boy. “I am going to have to ask for your forgiveness.”

 

Yugyeom looked completely bewildered. “My forgiveness?” he asked slowly.

 

“I wanted to tell you before, but I didn’t know how.” Jaebum forced himself to meet Yugyeom’s eyes. “I still don’t know how. I’m sorry, Yugyeom. The court just released that they have enough evidence to prove this. We were suspicious before, but we didn’t know for sure, at all, really, and we didn’t want to scare you. The night Jay took you…”

 

“The night my house caught fire?” Yugyeom asked.

 

“Yes—Jay… Jay was the one who set the fire.”

 

“Why?” Yugyeom’s confusion grew.

 

Jaebum took a breath.  _Like a Band-Aid. Just do it._ “He was trying to kill your parents so that he could have you.”

 

“But… why?”

 

“He wanted to buy you, but, you know, you can’t do that if the hybrid is underage,” Jaebum said. “We suspect he saw you at a dance competition, and when he learned that you were too young, he still wanted to take you, so…”

 

“My parents would have sold me, too,” Yugyeom muttered. “Um… so he killed my parents, basically. And then kidnapped me.”

 

“Y…yes,” Jaebum said.

 

“Okay,” Yugyeom said, kind of shakily, and Jaebum saw a tear fall down his cheek. “I don’t know why I’m crying. They didn’t love me very much, I don’t think.”

 

“Did you love them?” Mark asked softly.

 

“I don’t know,” Yugyeom mumbled blurrily, fumbling to wipe away his tears. “I don’t know, I just feel like I should be crying. I don’t know if I feel sad, really…”

 

“It’s—it’s okay. I know it’s kind of really a lot to take in all at once.” Jaebum hesitantly reached across the table to put his hand on Yugyeom’s arm. “I’m sorry for keeping it from you, we just weren’t sure if it was true. Don’t be mad at everyone else, they didn’t tell you because I said not to. Just be mad at me.”

 

“I’m not mad,” Yugyeom said, trying to give him a reassuring smile through the tears. “I don’t know if I’ll really… If I’ll really miss them all that much. I know that sounds horrible to say about your own parents, but they—they didn’t act like parents. I don’t think that makes me a bad person, does it?”

 

“No,” Mark said immediately, and Jaebum remembered having a very similar conversation with him not too long before. “No, you’re allowed to have feelings about people that don’t seem ‘right’. Your parents are supposed to support you and raise you up and love you and make you happy. They’re supposed to be there for you, and take care of you when you’re not feeling well. That’s what parents are supposed to do. But not all parents do that. It’s okay to go out and choose a different family to care about more about because those people are the ones that make you happy and make you feel safe. That’s okay.”

 

Yugyeom nodded. “Thank you for telling me, Jaebum-hyung,” he said softly. 

 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jaebum asked.

 

“Yeah,” Yugyeom said with a nod, going back to his dinner. “I will be."

 

* * *

 

After dinner, Jaebum took care to go find Yugyeom in case the younger needed anything. He found him in his room, fiddling with the bracelet Jaebum had given him. He didn’t look sad, though, just pensive.

 

Even though the door was open, Jaebum knocked against it just to announce his presence. “Yugyeom? Are you doing alright? Do you need anything?”

 

Yugyeom looked up. “Yeah,” he said. “I’m just thinking. Just… processing, you know?”

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum said, propping himself against the doorframe and crossing his arms. “If you need anything at all, please let me know. I want you to be happy and comfortable here. No more sleeping in the basement on beds too small for you or anything like that.”

 

Yugyeom smiled. “I am happy here,” he said softly. 

 

“I’m glad,” Jaebum said. “Okay, I’ll leave you to your thoughts, then, Please don’t bottle things up, though. We all wouldn’t mind listening to you talk. Whoever you’re most comfortable with.”

 

“Okay. Thank you.”

 

“Have a good night, Yugyeom.” Jaebum withdrew, strolling back down the hall.  _Yugyeom handled it a lot better than I thought. Perhaps it’s because this is all after the fact, and he knows that Jay can’t get to him now. I hope so._  


Jaebum poked his head into the living room briefly, where the others were playing games, and smiled. He didn’t join them; like Yugyeom, he had a lot to think about.  _Still,_  he thought as he watched Mark wrestle Jackson viciously for their shared controller, _it is reassuring to know that we’re getting there. Just like Mark said—we’ll all be okay. One day._  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! First of all, thank you so much for reading and all the love! It means a lot!  
> Secondly, I have posted my fucktoy!au Exo fic, which is [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8324098). There are three chapters so far~  
> Thirdly, I'm thinking about maybe doing a one-shot/drabble series, so you can request for that as I compile and begin to write.  
> Lastly, do message me on my [Tumblr!](http://www.suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask) I keep saying this but I'll just kind of keep giving you the link lol I love hearing from you guys on there as well~  
> Please take care of yourselves, Halloween is coming up so stay safe, and also keep warm so you don't get sick! <3


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hrmmmm idk there's some jackbum fluff bc I'm emo abt them and also some yugbum (finally)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooooo I'm sorry for the long wait!! My life has been kind of turned upside down and I've just been either sick or choking on anxiety for like the past month or so... hrm lets see yeah i meant to get this chapter done literally a month ago on the way to vball state but then i didn't (we did win state though! ^^). See my notes @ the end but for now, enjoy~! ^^

The house seemed stiller, quieter, over the next few days. Yugyeom stayed apart from the rest of the group, and the others, not quite knowing what to do, gave him space. 

 

"Do you think I should try talking to him?" Jaebum asked Jinyoung fretfully one night. 

 

"I don't know." They were curled up next to each other on Jaebum's bed. Jinyoung was slouched somewhat with his head against Jaebum's chest, while Jaebum was sitting up with his back leaning against the headboard. "Sometimes I think he'll be okay if we just give him a couple days. But other times..."

 

"I wonder if he needs something." Jaebum gazed out the window thoughtfully. "I think I'll go try to talk to him tonight."

 

"Okay," Jinyoung replied, splaying his hand against Jaebum's chest as well. "Try not to worry too much, okay? It's not good for your heart."

 

Jaebum leaned down and kissed Jinyoung's hair softly. "Thanks, love," he murmured. 

 

Jinyoung just hummed in response. 

 

And so, later that night, Jaebum went down to Yugyeom's room. “Yugyeom? Are you busy?”

 

“No.” Yugyeom pulled open the door. “Do you need something?”

 

“No, not really. Can I come in?” Jaebum asked gently. Yugyeom nodded mutely, stepping aside so that Jaebum could cross into his room. Jaebum shut the door behind him with a muffled click, leaning back against it. “I just wanted to check in and see how you’re doing,” Jaebum said.

 

“I’m doing okay,” Yugyeom said, fidgeting in the center of his room. 

 

“Are you sure?” Jaebum asked kindly. “I just… you seem a little sad. If—if you want to talk, if you think that’ll make you feel a little better…”

 

Yugyeom sighed and sat down on his bed. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “I really… I don’t know. I’m not—I’m not so sad over their deaths so much as I feel like I should be. Like the sadness is kind of there, kind of—” Yugyeom gestured to his chest. “Kind of here. Just sitting. You know? But I don’t really feel it anywhere else. It’s not the same is if someone I truly loved and cared about died. Yet—yet here I am. I don’t know.”

 

Jaebum moved slowly across the room to sit next to Yugyeom on the bed. “And… why do you feel like you should be sad?” He felt a bit like some kind of counselor, and hoped he didn’t sound too incredibly stupid.

 

If he did, Yugyeom made no sign of noticing. “I don’t know. Isn’t it my fault that they died? Isn’t it?”

 

Jaebum blinked, wide-eyed. “What? No.”

 

“If I wasn’t—if I wasn’t a hybrid, if I hadn’t been at that dance competition, if I’d just hidden myself like they always told me to, it wouldn’t have ever happened.” Something miserable broke through Yugyeom’s face.

 

“No, no—” Jaebum tried to soothe, but now that he’d finally gotten Yugyeom to talk, it was going to be difficult to stop him until he was done.

 

“Maybe I did something wrong,” Yugyeom whispered, fear swimming in his eyes as he looked at Jaebum. “Maybe if I was a better son… I’ve never been able to be a good son, or—or a good anybody to anyone, I think.” Tears welled in the snake hybrid’s eyes, and Jaebum wasn’t sure if he was allowed to brush them away. “My parents never wanted a hybrid. I didn’t come out the way they wanted. I came out like this and in the end, they were the ones who had to pay for it. I didn’t come out the way they wanted, and now they’re dead. That makes it my fault, right? Right?” And then, everything came crashing down and Yugyeom was sobbing. Jaebum, instinctively, pulled him into his arms, letting him rest his head on his shoulder.

 

He ran his hand up and down Yugyeom’s back, murmuring, “Shh, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. You can’t help what you are.”

 

“I didn’t come out the way they wanted, I didn’t come out the way they wanted,” Yugyeom gasped out and Jaebum wasn’t sure what he was asking for, he was only sure that whatever it was, it wasn’t something Jaebum could give. Not fully, anyway. He could lead Yugyeom, but ultimately Yugyeom would have to find it for himself.  _And that’s the worst part, I guess. I want to help him but I don’t think I can, and that’s the worst part._ “If I had been a better son, they would still be alive. Right? Isn’t it my fault? Isn’t that why I feel sad?”

 

“No,” Jaebum said, cradling Yugyeom into his chest. “No, that’s not it at all. It’s Jay’s fault, okay? It’s Jay’s fault. You didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t buy into the idea that you should be condemned and cast out just because you’re a hybrid. I know… I know it’s bad to speak ill of the dead, but I believe your parents could have and should have treated you better. You know? It’s not your fault.”

 

“But then—why do I feel sad? It’s—it’s my fault, somehow.” Yugyeom looked lost, and Jaebum suddenly understood. His parents likely blamed everything that went wrong, even just saying that it was because he was a hybrid that he brought bad luck. If that was the case, Yugyeom was probably trained by now to search for ways everything could be his fault. And the other part of it was—even after all that, Yugyeom still found it within himself to love his parents, even just a little bit, because he was that kind of person. Or perhaps because he thought he ought to be grateful that they even fed and clothed and allowed him to pursue passions at all. Which wasn’t fair, but it was how it was.

 

“I can’t answer that for you,” Jaebum said softly. “I can speculate, but I think it’s best if you figure it out on your own. I don’t want to do it for you, because I want you to know how to be in charge of your own emotions. Do you understand what I’m saying? This way, you can be more responsible for the way you react to things.” Yugyeom nodded, sniffling. “You can try and talk it out with me. Do you think that will help? It doesn’t have to be now, either. Whenever you’re ready.”

 

“Now’s good,” Yugyeom said, brushing away tears and sitting up straight again. “I… okay. I think I’m sad because I think it’s somehow my fault. But you’re telling me that it’s not my fault.”

 

“Why do you think it might be your fault?”  _Yep, definitely acting as a counselor now._  


“I… well. I’m a hybrid—bad things always happen to hybrids. If I wasn’t a hybrid…”

 

Jaebum didn’t want to ask any leading questions—he didn’t want to prove himself right, he wanted the truth—so it took him a minute to phrase the next question. “Um… is there another reason why you might think something like this is your fault?”

 

Yugyeom scrunched his brow. “Um… I don’t know. Things are usually my fault.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, when unlucky things happened to our family, like someone rear-ending my mom’s parked car and then leaving without taking the blame… or when a branch broke a window during a windstorm… my mother would say that it was because we had a hybrid under our roof,” Yugyeom said slowly. “You know, me. I… I bring bad luck.”

 

“You don’t bring bad luck,” Jaebum said softly.

 

Yugyeom shrugged. “Sometimes, I would tell them to just throw me out, if it was all my fault. That way they wouldn’t have to deal with the bad luck anymore. But… they never did. They could have left me at an orphanage when I was a child with no identification. Or they could have left me on the side of the road somewhere. But they never did. I always felt grateful for that, I guess. Maybe…” he looked up at Jaebum. “Maybe that sounds kind of sad to you. Maybe it  _is_ kind of sad. But… they could have been worse to me. They kept me healthy and they kept me safe. And they let me dance.”

 

Jaebum waited, hoping Yugyeom would make the leap by himself. He didn’t have to wait long.

 

“Oh.” Yugyeom’s eyes cleared somewhat. “Maybe  _that’s_ why I feel sad. Because they weren’t horrible to me, you know? And maybe I could have made it easier for them. And… and family  _is_ family, after all.”

 

Jaebum smiled. “It sounds like it,” he said. “That sounds like the reason. I can’t be sure, because these are your feelings, but I do think so.”

 

Yugyeom looked quite a bit more at peace. “Thank you, hyung,” he mumbled. “I’m sorry I cried on you and… and stuff. I…”

 

“It’s safe to show weakness to us, Yugyeom.” Jaebum placed a hand on Yugyeom’s shoulder. “It’s okay to tell us you need support. It doesn’t make you a burden, it doesn’t make you annoying. We all have things we need help with, times we’ve had to rely on each other to get through. You don’t need to be any different. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Yugyeom said, smiling back. “Thank you again. Tell the others I’m okay, please?”

 

“ _Are_ you okay?”

 

“Yes. I think so. I think I am now.” Yugyeom nodded.

 

“Then I will.” Jaebum stood. “I’ll let you get some rest now, but remember, if you ever need any of us, you don’t have to just lurk around in here. We’re all more than willing to help with anything. We’re like a little family, you know? We have fights and we have differences, but we also have each other’s backs, more than anything else. I understand if you don’t trust all of us quite yet, but I just want you to know that the option is definitely there."

 

“Okay. Sorry,” Yugyeom said sheepishly. “I’ll do that next time. It’s not that I don’t trust you, necessarily, I just wasn’t sure how… how to bring it up.”

 

“Okay.” Jaebum made to open the door. “I’m glad you did open up and talk to me. Really.” He pulled open the door, and then turned to add, “Rest well, Yugyeom.”

 

“You too, hyung,” Yugyeom called back as Jaebum shut his door again.

 

The others were, as expected, blobbing around in the living room. They had a drama on, but no one was actually watching it. 

 

“Is he okay?” Jinyoung asked as soon as he saw Jaebum entering the room.

 

“Yes.” Jaebum smiled. “He’s doing a lot better. I think he’s tired, though.” He laughed. “You can ask him yourselves tomorrow. Don’t go at him all at once, though.”

 

“We won’t,” Bambam promised for everyone. 

 

“I’m glad,” Mark said, “that he’s doing better. I want us all… I want us all to be happy.”

 

“Me too,” Jackson agreed.

 

“When are we going to tell him… about us?” Jinyoung asked. “He’s gotten find out eventually.”

 

“I dunno,” Jaebum said. “I have absolutely no idea how to approach that topic.”

 

“I’m sure an opportunity will present itself,” Jackson said almost airily.

 

“Jackson’s very good at pulling that kind of stuff out of nowhere and having it actually work out,” Mark admitted. “So if he says it’ll be fine, I’ll trust that.”

 

“I’m not sure I would trust Jackson with my pinky toe,” Bambam teased. “Considering how much he keeps failing to even take care of himself on Mario Kart.”

 

“Hey! We said we weren’t talk about that.  _Hey!_ ”

 

“Remember that one round where he literally fell off  _the same cliff_ like seventeen times?” Bambam continued blithely, as if he had not heard the older’s protests, nor the rage behind them. “I was actually kind of impressed. I mean, that kind of failure’s gotta take some kind of skill. How do you—?”

 

“Shut  _up_!” Jackson lunged for the smaller boy, hitting him with a pillow with a resounding  _whump_ , hindering any hopes of escape.

 

“Honestly, those two…” Jinyoung muttered tiredly. “I’m so glad I have Mark. I have no idea how I would deal with just them all the time. I love them, but they’re so… so fucking wild.”

 

“I had to put up with their company for a while before you arrived,” Mark said dryly. “And yet, I survived.”

 

“I guess hyung’s just more resilient than I’ll ever be,” Jinyoung said, pulling a dramatic hand to his forehead. Mark laughed.

 

Jaebum checked his watch and realized that it was almost ten o’clock. “Okay, it’s bedtime,” he said loudly. “We have to get up for school in the morning. Jackson, stop trying to kill Bambam. Bambam, stop whining, I really doubt he hit you  _that_ hard. And you two—” He pointed at Mark and Jinyoung. “If you keep up with the heart eyes at each other, I’m gonna lose it.”

 

“What heart eyes?” Mark asked innocently.

 

“If Yugyeom sees that—well, Jackson’ll be right. That will be the opportunity all right, presented with a huge ribbon on top.” Jaebum rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “I’m half-kidding. But I’m  _not_  kidding about bed. C’mon, you’ll regret it in the morning. Bambam, would you be the best and turn off the TV?”

 

“You really are a parent, aren’t you?” Mark said, grinning. “Single dad of five now. Pretty soon, you’re gonna go bald from the stress.”

 

“Yeah, and guess whose fault  _that’s_ gonna be?”

 

“Are you saying it would be  _mine?”_ Mark asked, feigning offense. “Have I ever been any trouble? I’m quiet and sweet.”

 

“Go to bed, Mark,” Jaebum replied, sticking out his tongue.

 

“Real mature, hyung!” Jinyoung called after Jaebum as the other three laughed. Despite it all, Jaebum found himself laughing, too.

 

* * *

 

With Yugyeom more settled, things began to return to normal. They fell back into pattern, though some things felt even more secure now—for instance, Jaebum felt more at ease leaving Bambam home because Yugyeom would be there with him. He felt more sure that Yugyeom was doing okay. He felt more comfortable giving different members of the household careful individual attention at times because there were so many of them that the others could easily entertain one another.

 

But there was still the issue of explaining to Yugyeom the exact nature of the relationship between the rest of the boys in the house. Yugyeom was seventeen, so it wasn’t like he was horrifically young, but he still seemed innocent enough, at least about sex. And as much as Jackson insisted that it would just come up eventually, Jaebum was of the mind that they were going to need to stage some kind of intervention. 

 

The question wasn’t if he or the others were attracted to Yugyeom—they all found him good-looking, and Jaebum had high suspicions that Bambam was especially fond. Jaebum was tempted to just shuttle the duty to Bambam, but as there were so many of them at this point, Jaebum felt it would be better for all of them to be present.

 

When Yugyeom was showering one night, Jaebum gathered everyone else into the living room.

 

“Okay, listen. We have to tell Yugyeom eventually, and the more we wait, the more confused he’s going to get. We can’t act all flirty with each other around him and just expect him to figure it out on his own.” Jaebum took a breath. “I say we tell him at dinner tomorrow, as a… as a group.” 

 

“How?” Mark asked.

 

“I don’t know. I think we just… just have to say it.”

 

“Like, ‘Hey, Yugyeom, we’re all actually fucking each other, wanna be part of it?’” Jackson asked sarcastically.

 

“No,” Jaebum said, giving Jackson a Look. “More like, ‘Yugyeom, we have something to tell you. We weren’t sure how, but we figured this would be the best way. We—all five of us—are in a polyamorous relationship and as you’re living under the same roof, we wanted to let you know, and ask if you would want to join.’ Something like  _that_.”

 

“And if he gets freaked out?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“We’ll try not to do that.” Jaebum bit his lip. “I really don’t know. I can’t think of another way.”

 

“I don’t think he’ll be freaked out,” Bambam said. “I don’t know whether he’ll join, but he won’t hate us or anything.”

 

“I hope you’re right,” Jaebum said wearily. 

 

And so, the next evening when they sat down for dinner, Jaebum ran his little speech through his head as they ate. The others were making an effort to keep conversation up so nothing seemed weird, but Jaebum didn’t join in. 

 

As everyone was finishing up dessert (apple pie courtesy of Jinyoung and vanilla ice cream courtesy of the nearby convenience store), Jaebum finally cleared his throat, setting down his utensils.

 

“Yugyeom,” Jaebum said, trying to keep his voice level and gentle. “We have something to tell you.”

 

“Is it about Jay?” Yugyeom interjected fearfully.

 

“No! No, nothing like that,” Jaebum said. “Uh, we, we weren’t sure how to tell you, but we figured this was the best way to do it. The five of us,” he continued, gesturing around the table, “are in a polyamorous relationship and, uh, as you’re living under the same roof, we wanted to let you know, and ask if you would want to—to join. You can say no, of course, I, um…” Unsure of what else to say, Jaebum watched Yugyeom’s face in nervous anticipation.

 

Yugyeom kind of stared at him for a second, and then, to everyone’s surprise, burst out laughing. “I knew—I knew you guys were hiding something!” he choked out. “I thought it was something serious, but this—!”

 

“It is serious!” Jaebum defended.

 

“No, no, I mean I thought it was something life-threatening or—or—oh, I dunno.” Yugyeom grinned. “That’s a relief. I’d’ve never guessed, you guys hid it really well.”

 

“Sorry for not telling you earlier,” Jaebum said hastily. “We—I mean, it’s kind of hard to bring up.”

 

“True,” Yugyeom said, still smiling. “And to answer your question—yes, joining sounds fine. Just go easy on me, ‘kay?”

 

“Are you… are you sure?” Jaebum asked uncertainly as the rest of the table boggled at Yugyeom.

 

“I’m seventeen, Jaebum, I’m not a fetus,” Yugyeom said with an eye roll. 

 

“He’s going through puberty,” Jinyoung pointed out. “Which means, actually, that his hormonal—”

 

“You’re not even a bio student, how do you know anything about that?” Jackson said. “Besides, no need to elaborate. We’ve all been there, we get it.”

 

“Okay, okay!” Jinyoung put his hands up in surrender, laughing.

 

“I’m glad you don’t think it’s weird,” Bambam said to Yugyeom.

 

Yugyeom shrugged. “I mean, you all take care of each other, you all live in the same house, I’m assuming everyone’s not straight, everyone’s attractive… What’s supposed to happen, really? As long as it’s fair, and as long as everyone gives consent, right?”

 

“Someone was listening during his high school health classes,” Mark teased lightly, smiling at Yugyeom. “But you’re right. Consent is the most important part, and we’ve all given it.”

 

“Well, now that that’s out of the way.” Bambam stood, and collected dishes. “Hyungs have school tomorrow.”

 

Mark wrinkled his nose. “Ugh. He’s right. I haven’t finished my homework yet.”

 

“Mark!” Jinyoung scolded. “You’re the oldest, you’re supposed to be setting a good example.” Mark made a face at him.

 

Everyone put their dishes away, and separated to their respective rooms. Jaebum called a goodnight down the hall before going upstairs, and he saw Yugyeom slip into Bambam’s room before he turned away.

 

Jaebum just laughed to himself.  _Well, that didn’t take long at all. Bambam was right. We really needn’t have worried._  


* * *

_Yugyeom’s POV_

 

A few days passed, and the verdict about Jay came out: he had been given a lifetime sentence in prison for his crimes because psychologists had found him mentally unstable. Using that as his defense, he managed to escape execution.

 

“He can’t hurt us from there,” Mark said darkly. Yugyeom nodded.

 

Despite it being a technical victory on their part, none of them felt much like celebrating. Yugyeom, especially, spent a lot of time in his room. He didn’t really understand why, exactly—it meant he was safe, and yet it didn’t feel like something he should be feeling happy about. Jay certainly deserved to be in jail, but Yugyeom still felt morose. Maybe morose wasn’t the right word—perhaps spent. He was so full of relief that he didn’t have much room for anything else.

 

Bambam must have noticed, considering they were home alone during the day, and halfway through the fist day he came into Yugyeom’s room with candy.

 

“Yugyeom-ah, what’s wrong?” Bambam handed Yugyeom a lollipop, which the younger accepted.

 

“I dunno. I should be happy that Jay’s in jail.” Yugyeom took his time unwrapping the candy.  _I hope this isn’t going to be a super deep talk or anything… I’m not really interested in crying in front of Bambam._ Truth be told, Yugyeom had, dare he say, a crush on Bambam—which was kind of dumb in his situation, but there it was. “I just feel kind of empty, though.”

 

“Mmm.” Bambam sat down next to him on the bed, pulled his legs up into criss-cross-applesauce style. “Wanna talk about it?”

 

“I guess. I think it’s because… well. It’s all been leading up to this. It’s been leading up to catching Jay and making sure he gets punished for his—his crimes or whatever, but now that it’s happened, it’s like… what am I waiting for, you know? What is there left to wait for? Where do I go from here?” Yugyeom looked at Bambam out of the corner of his eyes.

 

“You’re a dancer, right?” Bambam said. “So now that Jay’s not a problem anymore, you can go back to that. I’m sure Jaebum would love that.” Bambam smiled. “You know Jinyoung used to dance, too? Maybe you could do something together.”

 

Yugyeom smiled softly. “Maybe.”

 

“I know it might seem like moving on… really, really fast. But it’s good for you, to leave all this shitty stuff behind you, and do things that make you happy.” Bambam stretched himself forward to press a soft kiss to Yugyeom’s cheek, then drew back and contemplated his half-eaten Pepero stick. “Happy feels good, you know?” He cocked his head. “I was never really… I don’t remember being happy much before I got here. Like, in comparison to how happy I am here.” Bambam twirled the candy between his fingers. “What about you?”

 

“When I dance… and I get to the end of a routine, and when I hold the final pose—that moment’s always really happy for me,” Yugyeom said softly. “But overall… I’m doing better here, I think.” 

 

“You’re sure you’re not feeling weird with… you know?”

 

“I know I may seem like, really unattractive or something, but I  _have_ experience.” Sarcasm flooded into Yugyeom’s voice as he rolled his eyes at the older boy.

 

“But you haven’t done anything with any of us yet,” Bambam pointed out.

 

“Yeah, well… that’s because I don’t really know where to start.” Yugyeom fidgeted a little. It wasn’t necessarily that he wasn’t comfortable enough with them, or even that he was trying to figure out who he would want to go to first, just that he wasn’t sure who really wanted him.

 

“How about here?” Bambam asked quietly.

 

Yugyeom jumped a little bit. “With—with you?”

 

“Only if you want to,” Bambam quickly backtracked, misinterpreting Yugyeom’s surprise.

 

“No, I—!” Yugyeom blushed.  _Why am I blushing?_ “I think I want to,” he forced out.

 

“You scared me for a second,” Bambam said laughing. “We don’t have to, now. I’m not really in the mood, anyway.”

 

“Me either,” Yugyeom said awkwardly.  _Bambam’s so blunt; it’s kind of uncomfortable sometimes, but… whatever._  


“You know what I  _am_ in the mood for?” Bambam asked, eyes lighting up.

 

“Uh, what?”

 

“Kirby Epic Yarn!” Bambam leapt off the bed. “I call Kirby!”

 

“No fair, I was Prince Fluff last time, too!” Yugyeom complained, scurrying to follow him into the living room.

 

“You snooze, you lose,” Bambam taunted, waving the player one Wiimote in Yugyeom’s face.

 

“Fine,” Yugyeom said, “but next time I get Kirby for sure, okay?”

 

“Okay…”

 

“Promise?”

 

“Promise.” Bambam smiled, then crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue at Yugyeom, and Yugyeom knew that was one promise Bambam was not going to be keeping.

 

* * *

 

_Jaebum’s POV_

The first wave of tests of the new semester were fast approaching, and everyone in the house was a little frantic. Even Bambam and Yugyeom seemed more frazzled, though they hardly had anything to be stressed about. 

 

Jaebum thought it was interesting how each person showed their stress. Bambam yelled more—not in an angry way, just in general. Yugyeom moped. Jackson got tense and weirdly quiet. Jinyoung made a million task lists and tried to micromanage everything in the house—including stuff like washing the dishes. Mark was also louder, which was surprising and a little disconcerting, especially if he was seen next to a stoic Jackson.

 

For the most part, Jaebum let them all deal with it. They were all adults, and they would be okay. Jackson, however, was worrying him. It was very unlike the wolf hybrid to stay quiet, and Jaebum was worried that this bottling up of feelings wasn’t good for him. 

 

One night after dinner, Jaebum saw Jackson sitting stiffly at the table, looking out the window with a deep frown on his face. He left the dishes to the others and went to Jackson, standing behind him and rubbing some of the tension out of his shoulders. 

 

“How are you doing?” Jaebum asked.

 

“”I’ve been better,” Jackson replied, flashing a weak smile at Jaebum.

 

“Yeah? Do you want to talk?” Jaebum reached out and ran his fingers over the creases in Jackson’s forehead. “Don’t frown so much, you’ll get wrinkles.”

 

Jackson laughed quietly. “You also get wrinkles from smiling,” he pointed out. 

 

“But those are good wrinkles.” Jaebum took Jackson’s hard. “Come on. We can go to my room to talk about it, okay?”

 

Jackson followed him out of the kitchen, into the hall, and up the stairs. Once they were in Jaebum’s room, Jaebum shut the door and turned to Jackson.

 

“What do you need?” he asked. 

 

Jackson shrugged. “There’s nothing… there’s nothing you can really do about it. It’s not really something any of us can fix.”

 

“No?” Jaebum pulled Jackson into his chest. He could feel anxiety trembling through his body, and something like despair rolling off of him in waves. “Jackson, please tell me what’s wrong. I’ll do anything I can to help.”

 

Jackson looked down at his feet. “It’s my mom,” he confessed. “She’s sick—it’s some cardiac thing.”

 

“She had a heart attack?” Jaebum asked with a gasp.

 

“No—not yet. But it’s—it’s only a matter of time. Her cholesterol levels are too high—I mean, they’d be fine for someone with a normal, healthier heart, but…” Jackson let out a big sigh. “But that’s how it is.”

 

“Can’t she… can’t she get those cholesterol medicines—like, the blood thinner ones? Or—or like a Pacemaker or something?” Jaebum asked, his own heart dropping. He didn’t know anything about cardiac health—he was a business major, not a pre-med student. “Has she gone to a doctor?”

 

“Yeah,” Jackson said. “And they said they could prescribe that sort of medication for her to see how well it would help, but… but….” he mumbled something that Jaebum didn’t catch.

 

“I didn’t hear that lsat part,” Jaebum prompted gently.

 

“Butwedon’thavethemoneyforit,” Jackson said quickly. “I don’t know what to do. I can’t earn that much money in time.” His breath seemed to be coming a little short.

 

“I’m sorry about your mother,” Jaebum said. “It must have been hard to find out, and then not tell anyone. But, about the money—I can definitely spare money if it will help your mom. She’s a kind woman, and I know you love her very much.”

 

“You don’t have to do that—I’ll never be able to pay you back—” Jackson stuttered. 

 

“You don’t have to pay me back,” Jaebum said. “I own you, yes? So it’s my job to take care of you, to see to your needs, and I think this is one of them. I’ll call my father right away. Did you keep the prescription?”

 

“I think she still has it,” Jackson said, sounding almost vacant as Jaebum pulled out his phone.

 

“Dad?” he said when his father picked up.

 

“Jaebum-ah? What is it?”

 

“I’m sorry to call you so late,” Jaebum said. “But it’s important. Jackson’s mother has been diagnosed with a cardiac disease and prescribed a medication for it, but they aren’t able to pay for both the medical bills and the medicine.”

 

“Then we’ll pay for it.”

 

Jaebum let out a small sigh of relief, glad that his father had caught on so quickly. “That’s what I said.”

 

“Tell Jackson to tell his mom to file the prescription, and when it’s ready, I’ll go pick it up for her.” Jaebum heard his father scribbling something down. “Tell him not to worry. We’ll take care of it. Okay?”

 

“Okay.” Jaebum smiled. “Thanks, Dad.”

 

“Have a good night.”

 

“Well,” Jaebum said, turning back to Jackson and pocketing his phone. “That’s that. Tell your mom to call for the medication. My father will pay for it when he goes to pick it up.”

 

Jackson opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water a couple of times, and then he buried his face in his hands, choking out gasps. Jaebum pulled him in, and Jackson turned his face into Jaebum’s shirt, sobs wracking his body. Jaebum felt the vibration of every movement through his fingertips as he ran his hand along Jackon’s back.

 

“It’s gonna be okay,” he murmured, bending down to put his lips near Jackson’s ear, his nose brushing his hair. “I’m not gonna let your mom just suffer like that. I’m not gonna let  _you_ just suffer like that. Okay?” Jackson didn’t reply, and Jaebum wasn’t sure exactly how to respond, so he just kept comforting him. He rocked Jackson a little, keeping him close to his body. “You don’t have to worry,” he continued. “Shh, everything is fine.”

 

Jackson raised his head, his eyes red and his face streaked with tears. “Thank you so much,” he whispered, clutching Jaebum’s shoulders.

 

Jaebum pressed a soft kiss to Jackson’s forehead. “You don’t have to thank me. It’s right. Okay?” He knocked his forehead lightly against Jackson’s. “I would do anything for you guys. You know that?” Jackson nodded, closing his eyes and not pulling away. Jaebum cupped the back of Jackson’s neck. “Next time,” Jaebum added. “Don’t wait so long to tell me. If anything’s bothering you. I don’t care if you don’t think I can fix it. I can try. I want to be able to try, and I can only try if I know, okay?”

 

“I promise,” Jackson said. “I love you so much.”

 

“I love you, too,” Jaebum said, linking one of Jackson’s hands in one of his. “That’s why I want to help, yeah?”

 

Jackson nodded, sniffling and wiping his tears on his shirtsleeve. “Can I sleep with you tonight?” he asked, his voice rasping out a little bit. 

 

“Of course. Do you want to go shower, and then come back—so I can shower at the same time, and you can get pajamas?”

 

“Yeah.” Jackson nodded. 

 

Once they were showered and changed, they snuggled into Jaebum’s bed. Jaebum lay on his back while Jackson curled into his side, one hand right on top of his heart. Jaebum reached an arm around to comb his fingers through Jackson’s hair. They fell asleep like that, breathing in sync and in each other’s arms.

 

* * *

 

By the end of the next day, Jaebum’s father had delivered the medicine to Jackson’s parents’ house. Things settled, but Jaebum still had about five exams to study for, on top of an essay. He took to sleeping a lot as a way to get rid of some stress instead of trying to stay up late every night cramming. He could guess what some of the others were doing to relieve stress, though—just that evening, Mark and Jinyoung came out of Jinyoung’s room, hair messed up, sweaty, and smelling faintly of sex. And that was only to Jaebum’s normal human nose. He could only imagine how obvious it was to the other hybrids. He doubted they were the only ones.  _Then again, what’s the point of living in a house of five other boyfriends if you_ can’t  _fuck them when you want to?_  


He considered it, but he figured Mark and Jinyoung would both be too tired, Jackson was still recovering from his scare about his mom, and he didn’t want to bother Bambam or Yugyeom—both, because they didn’t have tests to be worried about so he figured they were doing fine, but Yugyeom especially because he was still new.

 

But, like Jackson always liked to say, a solution was always wont to present itself. And it certainly did.

 

Jaebum was propped up on his bed by a couple of pillows, in just a pair of old sweatpants, doing some rereading on finance before he went to bed. A light knock sounded at his door, and without looking up, he called, “Come in.”

 

“Hyung?” Yugyeom shut the door behind and leaned back against it.

 

“Yes?” Jaebum marked his place and put his book down beside him. “Hey,” he said. “What’s up?”

 

Yugyeom gave him a smile that was almost coy. “I heard-slash-noticed that you’re pretty stressed about your exams.”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said uncertainly.

 

“I thought I could help.” Yugyeom moved toward him, and Jaebum was suddenly very aware of how much taller the snake hybrid was.

 

“Help?”  _Why is my throat so dry?_  


“Mm,” Yugyeom said in response. He had reached the bed; he took the book and gently placed it on the bedside table. “From what I’ve heard, you only ever top, right?”

 

“R-right.” Jaebum swallowed thickly.

 

“Wanna try bottoming?” Yugyeom tilted his head to the side. “It’s less work. I figured if you’re already working hard in school, you shouldn’t have to work hard now.”

 

Jaebum had never, ever been in this position before in his life. And yet, he wasn’t uncomfortable. Maybe it was because the younger was just so much taller than him, but he found, strangely, that it wasn’t so bad to not be in control. He looked up at Yugyeom’s intelligent eyes.  _He knows I’m not going to say no. Am I going to say no?_  


“So?” Yugyeom was asking. Jaebum found himself nodding. Yugyeom smiled; if he had been a cat hybrid, Jaebum was certain he would have been purring. “You can tell me to stop any time, okay, hyung?” Jaebum could only nod. “Okay, scoot down, lie back. Have you ever…?” Yugyeom gestured to Jaebum’s ass, and Jaebum inferred that he was asking if he’d ever stuck something up his ass.

 

Despite himself, Jaebum flared a little. “Of course I have.”

 

“Good, then I don’t have to go so slowly.” Yuygeom looked at him sideways. “Don’t be mad, I just wanted to check.”

 

Jaebum rolled his eyes. “I’m not mad.”

 

Yugyeom hovered over Jaebum, kneading his fingers into the sore muscles in his shoulders. “You’re still tense, hyung. You have to trust me, okay?”

 

“Okay,” Jaebum breathed out. He closed his eyes, and he felt Yugyeom shifting around on the bed. A few seconds later, he felt hands at his waistband, and his eyes almost flew open. But he kept them closed—he wanted to show Yugyeom that he trusted him. 

 

Yugyeom must have noticed, because there was a smile in his voice when he said, “Good, hyung. Just let me take care of you.” He tugged down Jaebum’s sweats. Jaebum was kind of regretting not wearing underwear, because it exposed him faster than Yugyeom had been expecting. Still, Yugyeom didn’t slow down. He felt bare skin against his thighs as Yugyeom rid him of his sweats completely and assumed Yugyeom had undressed in the time he had had his eyes closed. 

 

He felt a lubed finger circling his rim, and gave an involuntary gasp, opening his eyes.

 

“You okay?” Yugyeom asked, blinking down at him in concern.

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum said, relaxing back down into the bed. “Just surprised, that’s all. Keep going.”

 

“Okay.” Yugyeom said. He steadied Jaebum’s hips with one hand and pressed a finger into his hole. Jaebum forced himself to melt into the feeling. He’d only ever used his own fingers before, and having someone else do all the work was pretty nice. He wondered vaguely how exactly Yugyeom knew how to do this—and furthermore, do all of it without blushing.  _Don’t be ridiculous, Jaebum,_ he scolded himself.  _He’s seventeen. He’s almost certainly watched gay porn before, considering he_ is  _gay. Who knows? Maybe he has experience._  


Yugyeom eased another finger in and used the two to loosen Jaebum more. Slowly, the alien feeling went away and was replaced by a slow, churning sort of heat. Jaebum arched up, realizing he was desperately searching the air for friction against his half-hard cock. He felt a third finger slip in, and he squirmed at the stretch.

 

“Still good?”

 

“Still good,” Jaebum panted blurrily. 

 

Yugyeom began pumping the three fingers in and out of Jaebum’s ass, twisting and hooking them, trying to find Jaebum’s prostate. It was something Jaebum was familiar with, only he was used to being on the other end of it. Yugyeom succeeded in brushing against it, and Jaebum let out an embarrassing moan. Yugyeom just grinned, pressing against it again and watching Jaebum shake.

 

Jaebum was not about to beg Yugyeom to fuck him, so he just screwed his eyes shut and waited. He felt hot breath against his cheek, and the bed dipped on either side of his shoulders. He realized that Yugyeom had boxed him in with his body, but the realization was barely made before all coherent thought flew out the window as Yugyeom withdrew his fingers and something hard bumped against Jaebum’s rim instead.

 

“Are you ready?” Yugyeom whispered.

 

“Yes,” Jaebum hissed, choking back a  _please._  


Apparently satisfied (maybe he could hear the plea in Jaebum’s voice), Yugyeom finally lined himself up and pushed in, bracing himself against the headboard. With surprising grace (Jaebum supposed that Yugyeom  _was_ a dancer, so it would make sense), he drew back out and then in again. Jaebum was surprised; it hardly hurt, which must have meant that Yugyeom really knew what he was doing when he prepped him, because Yugyeom wasn’t small.

 

“Are you okay?” Yugyeom panted out. Jaebum nodded. “Want me to go faster?”

 

Jaebum couldn’t stop himself this time. “Yes, please!”

 

Yugyeom didn’t make fun of him, though, and instead just picked up the pace. He shifted Jaebum’s hips under him, and suddenly Jaebum’s vision went white. He was vaguely aware of his own harsh, whining gasps, but he couldn’t seem to care anymore, not when Yugyeom was pulsing above him, sweat slicking his bangs to his forehead and fingernails digging grooves into Jaebum’s shoulder as he groaned.

 

“There?” Yugyeom asked, but Jaebum knew that he already knew.

 

“Yes, yes,  _fuck_ ,” he affirmed anyway.  _Am I even as good as Yugyeom at this?_ Jaebum wondered vaguely, because everything felt so good—equal, but different to how it was when he topped, but the question was, how did he measure up?

 

These thoughts didn’t linger long, because Jaebum had more pressing things to worry about—Yugyeom had picked up the pace and for a second Jaebum was sure he was going to pass out. Then he realized the faintness was coming over him in waves, timed with the throbbing of his cock. Strangely, he felt tears welling behind his eyes, and he fiercely blinked them away, his breath hitching with each of Yugyeom’s thrusts.

 

“I’m close, hyung,” Yugyeom said, and Jaebum saw him tensing up.

 

“Me too,” Jaebum whispered back. 

 

“Want me to touch you?” Yugyeom asked.

 

“Is that even a question?” Jaebum huffed.

 

Yugyeom managed a laugh, and wrapped a hand around Jaebum’s dick. He gave it a couple solid tugs, leaving Jaebum breathless. Yugyeom let out a low moan, rolling his hips against Jaebum’s ass, and his movements were so fluid, even  _now._ Jaebum could scream about the unfairness.

 

“Shit!” he exclaimed instead when Yugyeom unexpectedly dug his thumb into the slit of Jaebum’s cock. “Yugyeom—I’m gonna!”

 

Yugyeom didn’t respond, just fucked into him harder, still jerking Jaebum off. Jaebum dropped his jaw, arching up to meet each of Yugyeom’s thrusts, and then he was coming, spilling over Yugyeom’s hand and on his stomach, deflating against the pillows as Yugyeom rutted into him a few more times to find his release. They lay still and silent for a few moments, catching their breath.

 

“You’re crushing me,” Jaebum finally wheezed, pushing at Yugyeom’s shoulder feebly. “Seriously, we’re both sticky and we need to get cleaned up.”

 

Yugyeom groaned and reluctantly got to his feet, helping Jaebum up as well. 

 

“How was I?” Yugyeom asked cheekily as Jaebum half-staggered into the bathroom.

 

“Horrible,” Jaebum teased, swatting him with a washcloth. “Actually, though, my ass is really sore.”

 

“Happens,” Yugyeom said with a shrug, his eyes sparkling. “Sorry.”

 

“You were really good,” Jaebum said, answering sincerely this time. “Really. I never imagined I would exactly enjoy bottoming.”

 

Yugyeom squirmed a little under his gaze, but he managed a nonchalant tone. “Well, maybe we’ll just have to do it more often then.”

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum said, meaning it. “Maybe."

 

* * *

 

Jaebum could tell immediately that it was not a secret what had happened the night before as soon as he got into the kitchen.

 

“So, hyung,” Mark said, drawing out the "so" with this big Cheshire Cat grin on his face.

 

“What?” Jaebum asked warily.

 

Mark tapped his chin as the others dissolved into laughter. “I overheard that you actually like taking it up the ass.”

 

“Like you don’t!” Jaebum spat back immediately, face heating up. “Besides, it wasn’t my idea.”

 

“So how did it feel to be on the other end?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“On the other end of a dick?” Jaebum raised an eyebrow. “It was fine. Yugyeom did well, if that’s what you’re wondering.” To Yugyeom’s credit, his face remained impassive.

 

“You know,” Jackson piped up. “Before I lost my virginity, I read somewhere that it felt like a reverse shit, but personally—” 

 

“Okay, that’s enough.” Jaebum stuffed a napkin in Jackson’s mouth, trying not to laugh. “This is not appropriate for the breakfast table.”

 

“ _You’re_ not appropriate for the breakfast table,” Bambam muttered on reflex.

 

“I would certainly hope not. I’m not food; are you planning on eating me?” Jaebum asked.

 

Everyone gave him a look, and Jaebum threw his hands up in the air, stomping out of the kitchen in mock rage. “Fine! If you want to make everything sexual!”

 

Cheerful laughter followed him all the way down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and for all your patience! I'll try to update more frequently. I think I will be able to soon because college apps are almost done and then I'll be free T.T Xmas break might get some updates so hopefully...   
> As always, my tumblr is [here](suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask) so please do not be shy about dropping me a message i rly love them (no rly i just want to be friends with you all)  
> If you like exo and like my writing, you can find my exo fucktoy au fic [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8324098)!   
> I just really want to thank all of you again for being patient and waiting so nicely for my slow updates, and for reading and being supportive and for not minding how slow the plot is going (we all want to get to youngjae. we really do; myself included. I know. it's coming I promise)  
> on the upside i've outlined out the entire rest of the this fic (the ending is actually so close now wtf) so at least I know where I'm headed haha ^^   
> If you have any comments/questions/suggestions/yells, pls give me a shout either in my ask above or in the comments below. I love you all!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you wondering: no, I will not let this fic die. I refuse!! ^^  
> Also: 1000+ kudos!!!! wth!!!!!!! I'm really just O.o since when y'all give me so much love that I don't deserve....thank you for supporting this fiery trash heap I fondly call ... writing... wow I can't believe it !!

( _Yugyeom’s POV_ )

“Ah!” Yugyeom let out a sigh, throwing down his Wiimote and falling back into the couch cushions. Bambam had won yet another round of Super Smash Bros, and frankly Yugyeom didn’t think he had it in him to face one more defeat. “I admit it, you are better than I am,” he mumbled. “I’m bored of losing, hyung. Let’s play a different game.”

“What game?” Bambam set down his Wiimote as well. “I’m getting bored of beating you.”

“Hyung!” Yugyeom pretended to be horribly stung. He leapt up, arms outstretched. Bambam, sensing danger, flailed out of reach just in time, and, taking one glance at Yugyeom’s face, fled down the hall. “Hey!” Yugyeom pelted after him, his sock sliding on the sleek wood floors. Bambam (the heathen) was running around barefoot, and, not having the slippery sock problem, had gotten away easily, cackling as he went.

Yugyeom narrowed his golden eyes, trying not to giggle, as he crept into the living room. Bambam burst out from behind the door and tackled him, and before Yugyeom knew it, they were both coughing up dust mites on the rug.

“We should vacuum,” Yugyeom said, wheezing. “Oof, c’mon hyung, get up, I dunno if it’s you or the dust, but either way I can’t breathe.”

Bambam rolled onto the floor beside him. They lay in silence for a few moments, catching their breath.

“Yugyeom?” Bambam finally asked. “Are you happy here?”

“Of course,” Yugyeom replied, startled. “I’ve never been more happy.”

“What about your dancing?”

“We’ll figure something out.” Yugyeom would be lying if he said it wasn’t bothering him, but he didn’t want to tell Bambam. Jaebum was doing so much for him as it was. Compared to that, dancing was almost insignificant. “It’s not the most important thing at the moment.”

“It’s important to you,” Bambam said matter-of-factly. “Which makes it important to me, to all of us.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Yugyeom said uncomfortably. “If I’m meant to dance, it’ll work itself out, you know?”

“All right,” Bambam said dubiously. “Hey, you know Jinyoung-hyung dances.”

“Does he really? I thought he was a studio art major.”

“Yeah, but he takes dance classes in his free time,” Bambam said. “I’m going to as well.”

“Are you applying to the university too?” Yugyeom asked.

“Yeah,” Bambam replied. “Jackson-hyung is helping me with the application. It’s rolling, so I can pretty much submit it anytime.” Bambam shifted to his side so that he was facing Yugyeom, and propped his head up on his hand. “Are you going to apply next year?”

“I should,” Yugyeom said. “And that way I can dance again.”

“I hoped you would say so,” Bambam said. “We’ll all be at the same school.”

“Not all,” Yugyeom pointed out. “Mark-hyung is graduating!”

“Oh, I forgot. Well, at least you’ll have company next year! This house feels really big if you’re alone,” Bambam said cheerfully.

“Unless Mark finds a job somewhere.”

“Who would hire a hybrid fresh out of college, to do work Mark would actually be willing to do?” Bambam raised a fair point.

“Fair enough. Well… shucks, looks like I’m going to be stuck with him after all,” Yugyeom said, smiling.

“I know, so awful for you,” Bambam teased. “But think of it this way—he’ll be stuck with you!”

“Hyung, you already sidestepped me kicking your butt; I’ll get up and actually do it this time.”

“How about we go back to playing games?”

“You’re going to beat me again.”

“Nah, let’s do something you’re really good at,” Bambam wheedled. “We could set up the Kinect, and play Just Dance.”

 _Now that’s an idea_ , Yugyeom thought. “All right,” he relented.

And that’s how the others found them, playing Just Dance, which, unsurprisingly, Yugyeom was killing Bambam at, when they came home. Mark poked his head in and stayed to watch the end of the last round before ushering them into the kitchen to help with dinner. He eyed Yugyeom’s scores from the previous games and said nothing, only gave Yugyeom a kiss on the jaw (as that was the furthest he could reach). The kiss seemed to mean something, perhaps some sort of promise, but Yugyeom was too worn out from dancing to begin to fathom what.

After dinner, Yugyeom helped clean up. It took longer than normal because Jackson had gotten creative with salad dressings and there were more dishes than usual. When he was finally done, walking down the hall, he found himself being pulled into his own bedroom by no other than Bambam.

“What are you doing in here?” The air felt strange; Yugyeom’s eyes adjusted to the dimmed lights and saw Mark beyond Bambam, perched on his bed with a look he’d never seen on his face before. “What are  _you_  doing here?”

“I’m sorry, are we unwanted?” Bambam asked, merriment dancing in his eyes and sparkling off his cheeks.

“No, you know that’s not what I meant!” Yugyeom floundered. “I’m just surprised.” He closed the door behind him, though he wasn’t quite sure why he did it.

“Do you want to play a game?” Bambam asked.

“What kind of game?”

“A different kind of game,” the ginger cat hybrid answered.

“Oh.”  _That’s_  why the air had felt different. “You don’t have to use pretenses, guys.”

“Fun that way, though,” Mark said, slipping off the bed. “So, yes or no?”

“This isn’t seductive, you two,” Yugyeom said with a roll of his eyes. Despite himself, his breath still quickened when Mark was within arms’ reach and fiddling with the collar of his shirt.

“Not even a little?” Bambam coaxed, pressing to his side.

Yugyeom, like Jinyoung, had learned to smell the way hybrids were supposed to smell—with acute accuracy. This was doing him no favors now; arousal from the other two (he was trying to ignore his own) hung heavy in the room and trying to be unaffected was all but futile.

“Okay, maybe a little,” Yugyeom choked out, a little stifled by the scent.  _Why wasn’t it like this with Jaebum?_  Yugyeom knew why—Jaebum’s room was bigger, much more aerated. There had only been the two of them, and Yugyeom hadn’t been caught unaware.

Not that he was complaining. Mark and Bambam both ushered him towards the bed, Bambam’s lips never straying far from Yugyeom’s neck for long.

“Yes or no?” Mark asked him again, reaching, reaching, bringing their heads very close together.

Who would say no? Who  _could_  say no? “Yes,” Yugyeom mumbled, stretching his neck forward to capture Mark’s lips with his.

He had wondered, at some point, what kissing Mark would feel like—he was the first of the group that he had met, and he couldn’t deny that the cat hybrid was very handsome, and very beautiful, all at once. Now, he found it was better than he thought it was going to be. Mark hung off his collar with pretty, boney hands, tugging at it and putting pressure on the back of Yugyeom’s neck, nearly making the younger boy tip over. Instead, Yugyeom found his balance by catching himself with his hands on the mattress behind Mark, pushing him onto it. Bambam stumbled after them and Yugyeom instinctively reached out a hand to rest on his cheek, just to let him know he wasn’t forgotten.

Yugyeom and Mark finally broke apart, and Bambam pulled Yugyeom towards him. He kissed his face and Yugyeom closed his eyes to it. There was something soft and reassuring about it, and something soft and reassuring about being in the company of just hybrids—not in a sexual way, just the same way girls feel inexplicably safe in spaces with only other girls, with no boys to ruin their peace.

Not that regular humans like Jaebum ruined peace, of course, but still, it was comforting and warm, with these two—one loud and hyper, one quiet and gentle, and Yugyeom somewhere in the middle, and all three, right now at least, sweet—

Bambam found Yugyeom’s mouth. He tasted like artificial cherry sugar, and Yugyeom loved it. He brought Bambam closer, and Bambam rolled his body against Yugyeom’s, keening slightly into the snake hybrid’s open mouth. Yugyeom felt the tremors through his fingers, which were pressed into Bambam’s back.

Bambam pushed closer still, his hips moving more insistently now, until he was practically riding Yugyeom’s thigh, and Yugyeom pushed him away gently.

“Yugyeom?” Bambam looked hurt.

“Mark first, he’s older,” Yugyeom said, because this wasn’t the petty side of him that was mad still about being beat at Super Smash Bros a few too many times, not at all,  _whaaat_?

“Age before beauty,” Mark quipped, and Yugyeom rolled his eyes.

“Hyung, you’re probably the prettiest one in this house.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Mark replied, letting Yugyeom push him back.

He caged Mark with his limbs, bending over him and peppering kisses up and down his face and neck as he coaxed the older boy’s t-shirt up and over his head.

Despite seeming skinny at first look, Yugyeom saw down that Mark was toned—his chest was firm and his core and arms were strong. Mark grinned up at him, like he knew exactly what he was thinking, and Yugyeom took at as invitation to extend downwards and lick a stripe up Mark’s abdomen, from just above his belly button to his chest.

Mark gave a surprised gasp and arched up into Yugyeom, and now it was Yugyeom’s turn to grin, and keep grinning as he watched a blush bloom in Mark’s cheeks and spread down his neck and torso.

“Want to get these off?” Yugyeom asked, flicking Mark’s sweats.

“Absolutely,” Mark agreed, and he reached down to help Yugyeom unhook the waistband from his hips.

“No underwear?” Yugyeom asked.

“Didn’t think I would need it,” Mark said, shamelessly, a smirk working its way back onto his face, and growing when Yugyeom’s eyes landed on his ass.

“Is this…?” Yugyeom touched the base of the plug, and Mark shivered, but kept smirking, almost Cheshire-Cat-like, gleeful at the surprise.

“Bambam too.”

“What would have happened if I had said no?”

“I knew that wasn’t going to happen,” Bambam responded.

“He and I would’ve just gone to my room instead,” Mark said at the same time.

Yugyeom laughed. “Well, at least I don’t have to do so much work then.” He undressed quickly, casting his jeans and shirt and underwear on the bed, on top of Mark’s t-shirt.

“Might still want this.” Bambam pressed a lube bottle into Yugyeom’s hand.

“Mm,” Yugyeom agreed. “Thanks.” He cracked open the lid and squirted a small amount onto his palm, then spread it over his cock, using his other hand to push the plug in and out of Mark.

Bambam laughed in spite of himself as Mark squirmed. “He hates being teased,” he noted, mostly for Yugyeom’s benefit.

“I figured,” Yugyeom said, eying Bambam. “But you like being teased. Which is also why he’s going first and you’re going second.”

“How do you know?” Bambam asked, eyes going a little wide.

“I just do,” Yugyeom said mysteriously, but really it had been a shot in the dark—if Bambam also hated being teased, he wouldn’t have pointed it out about Mark in that way. To Mark, he said, “Ready?”

Mark nodded, and there was a frantic something in his eyes. Yugyeom was suddenly hit with a vision of Bambam edging Mark over and over again after dinner while Yugyeom had been in the kitchen helping clear the table and clean the dishes.

“Was Bambam mean to you?” Yugyeom asked, almost singsong-y, as he delicately pulled the plug out of Mark’s hole and placed it on the bed beside him.

Mark rolled his eyes, though Yugyeom didn’t miss the catch of his breath when he was empty. “Yeah,” he said, sounding fake-annoyed. “He kept fucking me with that stupid thing, but wouldn’t let me come. For good reason of course, but he could’ve just left it.”

“Indeed.” Yugyeom brought a hand to Mark’s waist, rubbing reassuring circles into his skin with his thumb. “Well, now he has to wait, so I suppose you’re even.”

“Yes,” Mark said, giving Bambam a taunting look over Yugyeom’s shoulder.

“You must be desperate,” Yugyeom commented, watching Mark.

“Don’t be mean, too,” Mark said, frowning.

“I don’t want to be,” Yugyeom replied, and pushed in before Mark could say anything back.

Mark’s jaw dropped; for a moment Yugyeom almost thought it had come unhinged. Which,  _yay_ , meant he was doing a good job, so far.  _Or maybe he just want to come, you egomaniac_ , he thought to himself.

“Move,” Mark hissed. Yugyeom did, pulling his dick back out smoothly and pushing in again. Mark closed his eyes, gratefully, it seemed, as Yugyeom continued.

He caught Bambam fidgeting out of the corner of his eye, and beckoned him closer.

“You like being teased,” Yugyeom said to him, then turned to the boy under him. “Mark, do you want something in your mouth?” Mark nodded. “Go ahead, Bambam—but you can’t come. If you get close, pull out.”

Bambam nodded, a little shocked at being given such direct and strict orders from Yugyeom, who was normally all fun and games, not to mention  _younger_  than him, but he didn’t argue. He pulled off his sweats and clambered up onto the bed, and then knelt over Mark’s face.

Mark’s eyes fluttered open, and he arched up to take Bambam’s cock in his mouth, humming around it in a sort of satisfied way.

 _Does Jaebum know he’s like this?_  Yugyeom wondered, watching all of this through fascinated eyes.  _Probably. I’m sure he loves it._

Yugyeom was snapped back into focus by soft gagging noises from Mark. For a second, alarm flashed through him, but Mark wasn’t struggling against Bambam—on the contrary, he’d reached up to cup Bambam’s face with his hand. Reassured, Yugyeom picked up the pace. Surprised, Bambam gasped and pulled back, trembling, and looked at Yugyeom with accusing eyes.

“What?”

“I was close,” Bambam grumbled, but he stayed sitting by Mark’s head, petting his hair and cleaning up some spit from around his mouth. “He’s too good at what he does, I guess.”

Mark smiled and made a deep, vibrating rumble in his chest.

“What is that?” Yugyeom asked breathlessly, feeling heat light his skin anew.

“He’s purring,” Bambam said simply. “I have no idea how he does it.”

“Jesus,” Yugyeom mumbled, and slammed into Mark a little harder than he intended in his excitement. “Does Jaebum know?”

“Of course. He learned it for Jaebum, then later bestowed the gift on us,” Bambam said cheerfully.

“It’s incredible—and lulling, like a real cat’s purr,” Yugyeom observed.

Mark broke off his purring to announce, “I think ‘m gonna come.”

Yugyeom curled over him, kissing his jaw and neck and chest. He reached a fist down to wrap around Mark’s cock. He gave a sharp tug and Mark gasped. “Go ahead,” he murmured in his ear. “Come for us, hyung.”

Bambam held Mark’s head as the older boy spasmed underneath Yugyeom, letting out a string of curses with Yugyeom’s name mixed in. Finally, he lay still, panting.

“What… what about you?” he finally asked Yugyeom.

“I have Bambam. Don’t worry,” he added when Mark looked concerned. “It’s hardly your fault. You’ve been on edge ever since dinner. You were great. I’m—” he choked around the next words as he pulled out all the way. “Ah, fuck. This is your fault, you see?”

Mark laughed languidly, and pushed Bambam toward Yugyeom.

“Quickly, Yugyeom,” Bambam said. Yugyeom nodded, backing Bambam up against a wall and reaching beneath him to pull the butt plug out. He replaced it with his dick, swiftly, before Bambam could complain, and wasted no time setting an almost frenzied pace.

Bambam wrapped his arms around Yugyeom’s neck as Yugyeom shifted Bambam’s hips higher, forcing his knees to bend and his feet to leave the ground. Bambam hooked his ankles behind Yugyeom’s waist and lunged forward for a kiss.

“Please please please, harder, please,” Bambam stammered out against Yugyeom’s lips.

Yugyeom stepped back, pulling out to turn Bambam around, then lifted him back onto his cock and thrusted back in. Bambam moaned, going limp in Yugyeom’s arms. Yugyeom’s right hand supported Bambam’s chest, which the other kept his hips in place as he moved back and forth. He bent forward, folding Bambam in half, almost, and Bambam took it, only giving a yelp as the new position allowed Yugyeom to hit his prostate.

Mark slipped off the bed and got a hand around Bambam’s cock. “Are you close, Bambam?”

“Yes!” It came out a sob, and it caught Yugyeom by surprise, registering through his own haze.

He dug his fingers into Bambam’s hip. “I am too,” he gritted out. “Go on, Bam.”

Bambam groaned, long and loud, as Mark began jerking him off. Yugyeom’s thighs burned, but he was close and he didn’t dare try to find a more comfortable position now. Vaguely, he worried they would both collapse on Mark when they were finished, but it was hardly the most pressing matter on his mind. Bambam clenched around him as his orgasm built, and Yugyeom shut his eyes, feeling waves of pleasure sweep over him, leaving his ears ringing.

They didn’t collapse onto Mark; somehow, Yugyeom held them upright long enough for Mark to guide them to the bed.

“Better now?” Yugyeom asked Bambam lazily, swatting his butt.

“Shut up.” Bambam responded, giggling all the same. “I feel sticky.”

“Let’s shower,” Mark said, yanking at their arms to get to up and moving. “You’ll thank me later, come on, let’s move…”

Yugyeom smiled lethargically to himself as he allowed Mark to usher him into the shower. It had been a good day. Everything was warm and calm—just the way, he realized, Mark had described it when they first met.

* * *

( _Jinyoung’s POV_ )

Jackson had tugged Jinyoung out into the gathering dusk as soon as the dishes were done.

“Let’s go for a walk,” he said, and Jinyoung would be loath to decline. They wandered the neighborhood, Jackson happily puffing out breaths just to see them fog up in front of him, and Jinyoung, just happy to witness happiness. Occasionally, the wolf hybrid would run ahead a few meters, giving a little whoop, only to circle back to give Jinyoung a peck on the cheek, before racing off again. Finally, Jackson settled, walking calmly for once. He looped his arm through Jinyoung’s as they strolled, resting his head on his shoulder.

“Hey, that tickles,” Jinyoung complained, laughing, as Jackson’s wolf ears brushed under his chin.

“Not sorry,” Jackson replied blithely. “Oh, you know what I’m excited for?” He didn’t wait for Jinyoung to answer. “Spring. I’m excited for spring, when all the flowers bloom. It’ll be really pretty.”

“It will,” Jinyoung agreed, surprised at the abrupt subject change but pleased nonetheless at its lightheartedness.

“We should all go look at cherry blossoms together,” Jackson continued.

 _This is what I like about Jackson_ , Jinyoung thought to himself.  _He speaks his mind, and he’s not afraid to seem “unmasculine” because he enjoys enjoying things too much to care._

Suddenly, Jackson stopped walking, frowned, and turned to Jinyoung. “We’re near my parents’ house,” he said. “I just thought—I should check on my mother.”

“We can go,” Jinyoung said immediately.

“No, I mean… I was thinking I might stay the night.” Jackson looked at Jinyoung pleadingly. “Will you tell Jaebum for me?”

“All right,” Jinyoung agreed, though a part of him shivered at the idea of having to walk back on darkening streets alone.  _It’s safe here. I’m safe here. It’s a short walk_. “Let me… let me at least walk you to the door?”

“No, you should start heading home now before it gets too late,” Jackson said, shaking his head. “I’ll call when I get there, just so people know.”

“Okay,” Jinyoung said, dubious. “Um, sleep well, then! See you tomorrow, for school. Tell your mother we say hello, and wish her health.”

“I will. Goodnight, Jinyoung,” Jackson replied, heading in the other direction.

Jinyoung wrapped his coat closer around him and began making his way home. The walk back felt longer than the trip out, and for a few moments Jinyoung was sure he had lost his way. He was skittish, and kept looking over his shoulder. His mind began to concoct nightmarish fantasies, where he was kidnapped and taken…where? To a brothel? Or worse?

But none of this came true. He soon found himself bathed in the warm glow of their front porch light. He let himself in, kicking off his shoes, and looked up, only to face a frazzled Jaebum, pacing at the bottom of the stairs.

“Where on  _earth_  have you been?” he exclaimed, reaching out to the horse hybrid and pulling him into his chest. “I have been worried sick! When I got the call from Jackson—well, at least he’s safe, but what about you? Alone, at night, out on the streets? You should have told me you were leaving. I should have come with you. What if something happened to you?”

Now, in the safety brightness of the house, Jinyoung’s fears of a few minutes before seemed almost silly, and he brushed Jaebum off, embarrassed at his attention. “I’m fine, Jaebum. Really. Fine.”

“I’m not mad.” Jaebum’s voice softened as he caught Jinyoung’s wrist. “I was just worried. Never do that again, okay? I like to know that everyone is safe.” He gave Jinyoung a rather fierce kiss on the top of his head.

Jinyoung allowed himself to be coddled. “I’m fine, hyung. Thank you. I’m okay.”

“Cold, though,” Jaebum noted. “Come with me?” He gestured upstairs.

“Let me grab PJs first,” Jinyoung said, laughing. He pecked Jaebum’s cheek and extracted himself from his arms, hurrying down the hall to take what he needed for the night. He rejoined Jaebum, and, taking his hand, climbed the stairs.

“You go ahead,” Jaebum said, nodding at the bathroom. “I already showered. I’ll wait here.”

Jinyoung obliged, and when he came out, tousling his hair to dry it, he saw Jaebum standing by the window and staring pensively into the space before him. Jinyoung cast the towel aside and snuck up behind Jaebum to give him a back hug. He rested his chin on Jaebum’s shoulder as the older boy sighed.

“What is it?” It didn’t come out so much a question as a command—tell me. Tell me what’s bothering you.

Jaebum placed his hands over Jinyoung’s, secure around his waist, and leaned back a little. “Nothing. I feel like I’m always not seeing a lot of someone these days.”

“Someone being me?”

“Right now, yes. But I mean in general. There’s always one person, at least, that I feel as though I haven’t seen in ages.” Jaebum turned, and took Jinyoung’s face in his hands, gently. “I feel like I haven’t seen your face in a while.” He kissed the tip of Jinyoung’s nose; Jinyoung giggled. “But I suppose it’s all easily remedied.” Another kiss, this one to Jinyoung’s right temple. “Just like this.” He pulled back. “Come on, let’s get to bed. We have classes tomorrow morning.”

“Unfortunately,” Jinyoung said with a smile.

“Mm.” Jaebum hit the lights, and the room was plunged into a soft persimmon darkness. Jinyoung tripped onto the bed, getting a face full of duvet before Jaebum untangled him from it. He shook the blanket out and settled it over them both, then gathered Jinyoung into his arms once more. “You nearly gave me a heart attack tonight,” he murmured.

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Were you scared?”

“Um… a little. Not that much.”

“I’ll be there next time.”

“Okay.” Jinyoung snuggled closer to Jaebum. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Jinyoung felt something thrum within Jaebum as he spoke the words; maybe it was just the vibration of his vocal cords.

Or maybe it was love, manifested. It certainly felt like it. The entire house was heavy with it; it helped lower his eyelids and wash him to peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see also: I am a big sap lmao. Anyway! Thank you for reading, as usual, and for your patience (Q: when will I not have to apologize for taking so long to post the next chapter? A: not in this lifetime). Please comment, etc, etc~
> 
> I think that wraps up Yugyeom's arc. Unless anyone is rly averse to the idea, I believe that means we will be moving on to the highly-anticipated Youngjae!! (You think you're excited? Have another think; I'm the most excited). Let me know what you think about that in the comments below.
> 
> And, links. My Tumblr is [here](https://www.suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask). Any theories, tears, screams, suggestions, etc can be sent to me there (and frankly, it's better than commenting here because I'm on Tumblr more often than I'm on here~) Also, if you want, you can go check out my exo fucktoy!au fic [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8324098), which should be updating shortly after this chapter is posted (should be...) ^^
> 
> That's all for now! Hope everyone is doing well! Thanks again for reading, and for the kudos (!!) Momo out~~


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youngjae finally!! thank you all for waiting ^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your sweet and encouraging comments! I'm sorry about taking a long time, but hey... at least it wasn't two months (rip me). Enjoy!

_(Mark’s POV)_

January turned into February. Valentine’s Day passed; Jinyoung had made a huge cake, and they spent most of the evening watching sappy dramas. 

 

The next day, they all dragged themselves out of bed after the late night. It was raining; Mark and Jackson shared an umbrella, and Jaebum and Jinyoung shared the other. Mark didn’t talk much on the way—he was too tired to focus on anything but not stepping in puddles.

 

Jaebum had to run to meet with his professor before his entrepreneurship class, and Jinyoung wanted to go work on a project, which left Mark and Jackson to wander the halls. Though it was still early, people were already flooding into the school buildings, meeting friends, turning in assignments, and getting snacks before class began.

 

“Do you want to go work on your senior thesis?” Jackson asked. “I can, you know, leave you alone.”

 

Mark laughed, and made a show of clinging to Jackson. “No, I can work on it later. My advisor says I’m ahead, anyway.”

 

“You, ahead on an assignment?”

 

“I know, it’s very uncharacteristic.”

 

They hung around near the entrance because Jackson said he liked to watch the rain, and Mark didn’t mind. Jackson seemed to sense everyone’s softened mood that day—perhaps he shared it, or maybe he was just being courteous, but he wasn’t as overexcited as usual. It was nice, just standing there with him and watching the rain wreak havoc on the landscaping.  

 

“Who’s that?” Jackson asked, pointing to a blurry figure in the distance, all the way across the vast front quad. They seemed to be hugging books and running, no coat or bag to keep the rain off. “Gosh, I hope their papers are okay.”

 

“No idea.” Mark squinted; he couldn’t even make out if they were hybrid or normal human. “I wouldn’t want to be them.”

 

The figure drew nearer as they watched, but the rain was so hard that they couldn’t distinguish any features. 

 

“Let’s help them.” Jackson picked up the umbrella.

 

“You go, we won’t all fit under the umbrella, and you run faster,” Mark said, a little regretfully.

 

“Right.” Jackson opened the umbrella and sprinted towards the person. Once he reached them, they both slowed to a walk and made their way more slowly across the soggy field, back to Mark. 

 

“Are you okay?” Mark asked when they got into the shelter of the building, peering at the stranger. He had red-brown hair and a mole under his left eye, and Mark also noticed large white ears of some kind, matted down by the rain, drooping over the boy’s head. 

 

The boy pushed water out of his eyes with his hand, nodding. “Thank you,” he mumbled. “I’m sorry, I’m late—thank you,” and then he stumbled off.

 

“I hope he’s okay,” Jackson said, worry laced into his voice. “I wonder what class he’s going to?”

 

There wasn’t anything distinctive about the boy that screamed one major or another, so Mark had nothing to go on, and did not answer.

 

“Oh!” Jackson bent down and picked up a damp piece of paper from the ground. “This looks like a course syllabus for… entrepreneurship?” He showed it to Mark, who saw that Jackson was right. “Well, we know what room that’s in. Let’s go give it to him, he’s probably missing it.”

 

“Sounds good. Has class started yet?” 

 

Jackson checked his watch. “Uh, it will in about one minute.” 

 

“Better go quickly, then.” They hurried down the halls in the boy's footsteps, eventually breaking into a run, only to skid to a halt outside the classroom door.

 

They were greeted with the sight of a dejected Jaebum. “Prof wasn’t there,” he grumbled. “I scheduled a meeting with him and everything! And now I have to go during lunch. I left him a note.”

 

“What did you say?” Mark asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. I was polite.” Jaebum waved him off. “I’ll be late to lunch, is what I’m trying to say. Why are you guys here? Class is about to start.”

 

“We met someone near the entrance. He dropped this.” Jackson showed Jaebum the syllabus as Mark scanned the room. 

 

He saw the boy in the far corner. Papers and empty chip bags littered his desk. The boy was looking at them with a resigned sort of grimace on his face as he dropped his bag to the floor. Mark watched as he grabbed the trash bin a few feet from his desk and swept all the garbage into it. He looked very upset; his brow was furrowed and his lips were pressed together in a thin, white line.

 

“There he is,” Mark said, nodding at him.

 

Jackson spun, and hurried to give it to him. 

 

Mark stayed by Jaebum’s side, not wanting to say anything, but unwilling to let the thought go. He stared at Jaebum until he met his eye.

 

“What?” Jaebum asked.

 

Mark flicked his eyes to the boy.

 

Jaebum looked at him, then back at Mark. “You think—?” He frowned. “I don’t know… we don’t have much room left. I want to, you know I do…”

 

“Let’s talk about it tonight, all of us,” Mark said. “I’ll do some digging to see if I can find out anything about him. Maybe he’s perfectly fine.”

 

Jaebum nodded. “I’ll ask my parents.”

 

Jackson came wandering back. “His name is Youngjae,” he reported. “And he said that people like to leave trash on his desk. I asked him why, he said he didn’t know. Maybe it’s because he’s a hybrid—a rabbit, before you ask—but it’s never happened to any other hybrid that I’ve known just for being a hybrid, you know?”

 

“Interesting.” Mark turned to Jaebum. “We gotta go, but we’ll talk about this later.”

 

“Have a good day, both of you.” Jaebum nodded toward Youngjae. “I’ll see what I can do for him.”

 

Mark and Jackson scurried quickly out of the classroom and bade each other hasty farewells before running off to classes of their own.

 

* * *

 

_(Jaebum’s POV)_

After a quick meeting with his professor, Jaebum found an empty conference room and dialed his mother.

 

“Jaebummie?”

 

“Hi, Eomma…” 

 

“What’s wrong? You sound worried.”

 

“Nothing in particular is wrong-wrong, just that…” Jaebum sighed. “Oh, there’s this hybrid boy in my entrepreneurship class and I know I already have so many hybrids but he really seems to be struggling. I don’t know if I should take him in because…well, I don’t know, but I just feel so bad.”

 

His mother sounded thoughtful. “When you say struggling, what do you mean?”

 

“All the other kids—okay, not all, but a lot of them—they put trash all over his desk every day. I don’t even know who does it, they come early to make sure it gets done—and he’s pushed around in the halls, you know, not in a way that actually really hurts him, but enough that he’s constantly worried about it. He’s a rabbit hybrid, and he really acts like one—quiet and jumpy, you know. Did you know that rabbits, when they get really scared, their hearts literally beat so fast they give themselves heart attacks and they keel over and die? I’m almost worried that’s going to happen to him.” Jaebum took a deep breath. “And when I asked if his parents knew about all this—he kind of—kind of just gave this sorta hollow laugh, like  _are you kidding? Of course not._ It really… broke my heart a little bit.”

 

“Keep an eye on him,” Mrs. Im said immediately. “I’m going to talk to your father, and we’ll see what we can do. I want you to take him in—if that makes you feel any better. But of course it’s best to make these decisions as a family.”

 

“We’ll have to buy him.”

 

“I know,” Jaebum’s mother said calmly. “And I understand your worries. I may have to say that this will be the last one, because as much as I would like to set up a shelter, we really can’t.”

 

“I know,” Jaebum said. “I know, I’m sorry—I’m just so worried about him.”

 

“I know. I’ll talk to your father, we’ll figure things out. For now, just defend him when you can, and keep yourself healthy.”

 

“Yes, Eomma. Thank you.”

 

“Have a good day, sweetheart.”

 

Jaebum weighed the phone in his hand after she hung up, thinking. How could he defend Youngjae? An idea began to form in his mind, but he pushed it away, wanting to wait until they had discussed the matter as a household before he acted. Besides, he couldn’t do anything about it now, and there were other important matters on hand—such as, there were a few minutes left in his lunch period, which was totally enough to grab a bite before class, right?

 

* * *

 

“Okay, I have something important to talk about this evening.” Jaebum set down his fork and waited until he had everyone’s full attention. “Mark and Jackson and I saw a hybrid boy in my entrepreneurship class, and he’s having quite the time of it. Long story short, we were thinking of taking him in. The only issue is, there’s only one bedroom left. I don’t want to overcrowd this house, so I wanted to ask what everyone thinks.”

 

“What’s he like?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“His name is Youngjae. He’s a bunny hybrid,” Mark supplied. “He seems quiet and kind of jumpy.”

 

“He’s jumpy because the bullying that happens isn’t outright. He doesn’t get into fights, it’s just less traceable things—people leave trash on his desk, he gets pushed around a little in the halls,” Jaebum explained. “And it doesn’t sound like his parents are much help—or, even if they could be, he doesn’t want to talk to them about it.”

 

“What did your parents say?” Jackson asked.

 

Jaebum’s father had called Jaebum later in the day to say that he could certainly take this one, but that after him, no more. “They said it was fine,” Jaebum told Jackson.

 

“I think we should,” Yugyeom said quietly. “Or we should at least suggest it to him.”

 

“Make sure you make it clear that it’s an option,” Bambam pointed out. “Maybe he’s, you know, actually doing okay.”

 

“All right. I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” Jaebum said. “I didn’t want to act before I had brought it up to you guys, because you will be sharing the house with him. He seems nice, though.” 

 

“I’m sure he is,” Yugyeom reassured. 

 

“I have entrepreneurship first thing again tomorrow morning, and I would like to get there early,” Jaebum said. “I can go by myself if some of you guys want to sleep in—I know Jackson has a free first period.”

 

“So do I,” Jinyoung supplied. “I can walk with him so neither of us are alone.”

 

“I’ll come with you,” Mark said to Jaebum.

 

“Then that’s settled.” Jaebum stood. “Bambam, Yugyeom, could you try to maybe clean up a little, and put the other room in order? It’s probably dusty—so dust it, maybe change the sheets? Make sure the bathroom is still stocked. Just in case something comes up.”

 

“Sure,” Bambam agreed.

 

  
_And that’s that,_ Jaebum thought.  _I probably won’t be bringing him home tomorrow, but maybe by Friday._ As he settled down to sleep later that night, he turned over his plan for the next morning.

 

* * *

 

Jaebum and Mark walked to school the next morning side by side. The sky bright and though the wind was chilly, the sun was warm on Jaebum’s face. Jaebum knew he was being a bit absent, but he was concerned about Youngjae—if he said no, what did that mean? Did he really not need help? Was Jaebum just trying to be a savior or some kind of knight in shining armor for someone who didn’t need it? Mark seemed to sense his mood, and kept quiet, only taking Jaebum’s hand at some point, swinging their arms a little as they walked. And then—

 

“Jaebum? I’m really glad I’m here.” 

 

Surprised, Jaebum stared at him for a second before replying. “Yeah? I’m glad you’re here, too.”

 

“I just don’t want you to worry too much about how Youngjae reacts,” Mark said softly. “If he says he doesn’t need our help, then you’ve done your best. It doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. Okay? And you’re doing the right thing to offer to him. You know?”

 

Jaebum stopped walking and smiled at Mark. “Thank you,” he murmured, pulling Mark closer to him to give him a kiss on the forehead. “You’re an angel.”

 

Mark laughed, embarrassed but pleased. “I hope it goes well,” he said sincerely once they continued walking again. Jaebum smiled wider, still worried, but reassured all the same.

 

They parted ways once they reached the building, and Jaebum walked quickly to the classroom. They weren’t  _that_ early, and Jaebum doubted he would be able to catch the culprit of the desk-trashing, but that wasn’t what he had in mind.

 

It was about twenty minutes till class, and Jaebum was not surprised when he saw the papers and empty soda cans already piled on Youngjae’s desk. Jaebum grabbed the trashcan and dumped it all in, and then, after dropping his bag at his own desk, sat on Youngjae’s desk and waited.

 

Students began to trickle into the classroom about ten minutes later, and a few gave Jaebum some curious sidelong glances, but no one questioned him outright. Jaebum fidgeted, blushing a little and hoping Youngjae would get to class before it started.

 

Jaebum was in luck: just as he thought it, Youngjae slunk through the door. He kept his eyes on the ground as he walked over to his desk, and Jaebum realized he hadn’t seen him. Unsure if this was a good or a bad thing, Jaebum waited.

 

Youngjae looked up when he was about a foot away, and gave a start. “I—what are you—?”

 

Jaebum smiled. “I’m the trash on your desk for today,” he said softly.

 

“You’re not trash,” Youngjae argued, dropping his bag on the floor. He sounded confused.

 

“Aren’t I?” Jaebum laughed “Hey. You don’t have to be scared of me.”

 

Youngjae eyed him warily. “No?”

 

“Do you want to come eat lunch with my friends and me today?” Jaebum asked. “I mean, we’re just eating at the cafeteria.”

 

“Your friends?”

 

“The hybrids I live with,” Jaebum replied, worried Youngjae might balk if he referred to them as his. “Friends all the same.”

 

Youngjae stared at him. “You’re asking me if I want to come live with you—you’re asking if you can buy me.” He frowned. “Why are you asking me?”

 

“I don’t want to just, I don’t know, force you to come live with me if you don’t want to. All of them had a choice, and you have one as well.” Jaebum heard himself and cringed. He sounded stupid.  _It’s been a while since I’ve actually had to go through this process._  


“But… why? Do you need more hybrids?” Youngjae blinked. “I mean—I’m not—no, now you look sad. It’s not that I don’t want to come live with you, I‘m sorry, I’m just—failing to see why you want to buy me.”

 

“My goal with buying hybrids is just for a little bit of company,” Jaebum explained. “And to give them a chance at having a safe, happy home where they don’t have to worry so much about money, and where they can find protection.”

 

“Oh.” Youngjae was still frowning, though. “You aren’t like most normal humans.”

 

“No,” Jaebum agreed, smiling again. “I’m not. A couple of my other hybrids saw you and were worried. We decided we would extend an invitation.”

 

“The ones that helped me yesterday, when it was raining!” Recognition lit in Youngjae’s eyes. “They’re yours!” 

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said.

 

“Will it be just those two, and me then?” Youngjae asked softly. It seemed like he was warming up to the idea.

 

“Ah, no, there’s another you’ll meet today, and two more who are too young for college,” Jaebum said.

 

This didn’t seem to deter Youngjae. “I’d like to meet them,” he said. “Th-thank you. For my desk, for… this.”

 

Jaebum jumped off the desk lightly. “What class do you have before lunch?”

 

“Calculus,” Youngjae replied.

 

“That’s in MB-4… what?”

 

“411.”

 

“MB-411. Okay. I wait for you outside your classroom, okay?” Jaebum confirmed.

 

A faint blush tinged Youngjae’s cheeks as he nodded. “Sounds good.”

 

* * *

 

Jaebum ducked out of macroeconomics early to run up two flights of stairs to Youngjae’s calculus classroom. He shifted his weight from foot to foot as he waited. Mark had gone to the cafeteria to secure a big table.

 

“Hey,” Jaebum said warmly when Youngjae shuffled out of his classroom. “Ready?”

 

“Yeah.” Youngjae smiled, just barely. It was the first time Jaebum had seen any sign of real happiness cross the boy’s face, and that little flash was warm. 

 

  
_I wonder what his full smile looks like?_ Jaebum found himself thinking.  _I hope I can find out._  


Jaebum walked in front of Youngjae to help part the crowd as students flooded out into the halls. It meant he couldn’t really keep an eye on Youngjae, which ended up being a problem. Youngjae started to fall behind as the subtle pushing and shoving began. Jaebum heard Youngjae give a muffled yelp when a large athletic-looking guy bumped into him not-too-gently. 

 

“Hey!” Jaebum glared at the guy, ad reached out and grabbed Youngjae’s hand before the tide of students could really separate them. “Stay close,” he said, not letting go. With Jaebum’s hand to anchor him, Youngjae attached himself to Jaebum’s side and they made their way through the crowds with ease. 

 

“Jaebum! Over here!” Jackson shouted, waving vigorously as soon as Jaebum set foot in the lunchroom. Jaebum waved back and led Youngjae to the table.

 

“Are you buying?” he asked Youngjae. “I’ll come with you.”

 

“No,” Youngjae shook his head. “I have a lunch.”

 

“Okay, perfect.” Jaebum settled into his seat. “Well, you already sort of know Mark and Jackson,” he began, nodding at them. “And this is Jinyoung. He’s an art student, so you might not see him around campus as much.”

 

“Hi,” Youngjae said shyly. 

 

“I’m going to go take a little walk,” Jaebum said, thinking of an idea suddenly. “If that’s all right with all of you. That way, Mark and Jackson and Jinyoung can tell you about me, and you’ll know they’re being honest because I won’t be here to hear what they say. Sound good? I’ll be back in… um, five or ten minutes, how does that sound?” The four hybrids nodded. “All right.” He stood. “Take care of him, you three.”

 

Jaebum wandered around campus, hoping he hadn’t left Youngjae, or the other three for that matter, in a horribly awkward situation.  _It’s fine_ , he thought to himself.  _They’ll be fine. And if they get into any kind of trouble, Jackson and Mark can handle them. It’ll be fine._  


Really, Jaebum thought, as he made a quick lap around the building, no one could blame him for being a bit paranoid. It seemed things tended to happen to hybrids if you took your eyes off them for too long. 

 

He checked his watch; seven minutes had passed. Jaebum forced himself to linger a while in the quad before heading back in. 

 

He needed have worried, he saw, when he approached the table. The four boys were laughing, Youngjae included, and— _there’s the smile. Wow._  


“So, what secrets about me did they tell you?” Jaebum asked Youngjae, arching an eyebrow at the other three. 

 

Youngjae turned thoughtful. “They said you’re nice, and you pretend to be a tough guy but you’re not, and that you take care of everyone and don’t play favorites.”

 

“Wow, good reviews.” Jaebum laughed. “Is that all? No ‘Jaebum-hyung snores so loud it keeps the whole house awake’? ‘Jaebum-hyung is a big grump’?”

 

“If anyone’s capable of snoring that loud, it’s probably Bambam,” Jinyoung said with a snort. “We told him you’re a sweetheart.”

 

“Me? Sweetheart? Disgusting,” Jaebum replied, making a face. He turned back to Youngjae. “So, what do you think? You don’t have to make a decision right away. If you want to call your parents or something, we can wait.”

 

“I don’t have any objections,” Youngjae said softly. “I’ll call my parents later today… maybe I can meet you guys right after school with an answer?”

 

“Sounds good,” Jaebum agreed. “Ask them what times they’re free too—you know, for payment.”

 

Youngjae blushed. “Oh, right. Yes, I’ll ask.”

 

“Bracelet, bracelet!” Mark reminded Jaebum.

 

“Oh, yes. Yeah. Um, I have these bracelets, sort of, I dunno, just to show you’ve been claimed? I don’t know how much protection they actually give you—you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to, but…” Jaebum pulled the bracelet out of his bag.

 

“Jaebum’s well-known enough around here that if someone sees that, they’ll think twice because they know they’ll have to answer to him," Jinyoung said. “It’s not any kind of impenetrable shield, but it’s something.” He held up his wrist. “I wear mine. Just a thought.”

 

“I’d like it, yeah,” Youngjae said. “Thank you.”

 

“No need.” Jaebum smiled at him. “If all goes well with your parents, that’s yours.” He helped Youngjae fasten it around his wrist. “If anyone tries to push you around, tell me.”

 

Youngjae nodded, but Jaebum had the feeling he wouldn’t.  _He’s not yours yet. Don’t press._  


“So Youngjae,” Jackson said. “You’re a freshman, right? What are you doing in Jaebum’s entrepreneurship class?”

 

Youngjae blushed bright red. “I waived a lot of requirements with my AP’s from high school,” he mumbled.

 

“Wow, you must be really smart then, huh?” Mark asked kindly.

 

“I dunno…” Youngjae said.

 

“Is that why people push you around?” Jaebum asked suddenly, understanding dawning. “Because you’re really smart, and a hybrid, and so you’re doing better than a lot of the older students?”

 

Youngjae looked a little stricken. “Oh… I don’t know. Maybe.”

 

“Well, that’s dumb,” Jinyoung declared firmly. “I wish I were as smart as you. But that’s no reason to bully you. Actually, it’s probably a good reason to be friends with you. You can help us all with our homework.”

 

“Jinyoung! Friendship doesn’t have a price!” Jackson admonished. 

 

“Joking, just joking…” But there was no need, because Youngjae was smiling.

 

* * *

 

Youngjae arrived promptly that day after school with his answer: his parents had said yes, and that they would be free Friday afternoon to meet about payment. 

 

“Also, they were thinking I might spend the night tonight, just to see what it’s like?” Youngjae looked uncomfortable. “It wasn’t my idea.”

 

“That’s okay,” Jaebum said, laughing. “They want to know what kind of place you’re going to. No worries. Do you need to go get some stuff from home?”

 

“Yeah.” Youngjae nodded. “They’re going to pick me up, and then I’ll go home, grab a few things, and then go to your house from there. I should be there around five, or five-thirty?”

 

“Whatever’s best for you,” Jaebum agreed. He dug around in his bag for a minute, found a pen and a piece of paper, and scribbled down his address and number. “Here. It’s my address. If you get lost, call that number. Okay?”

 

“Okay,” Youngjae said, accepting the paper. “Thank you.”

 

“See you in a few hours.” They all waved as Youngjae ran off towards the roundabout.

 

“I like him,” Jinyoung said as soon as they were off campus. “He’s sweet and polite.”

 

“He certainly is that,” Jaebum agreed. “But he seems so subdued—he actually reminds me a little bit of you, Mark, when we first met.”

 

“I’m sure he’ll come around, like I did,” Mark said. “It just really seems like he’s never had friends before, you know? And he looks gentle, so he probably wouldn’t be able to defend himself…”

 

“He’ll be safe with us,” Jackson said confidently. “Now, we just need to make sure everything is organized and ready for him.”

 

“Let’s hurry!” Jackson said.

 

“I’m not running!” Jinyoung retorted at the wolf hybrid broke into a jog.

 

Still, they made it home in good time, and Jaebum went through the house, checking to make sure things were in place. 

 

“Should we clean?” Bambam asked.

 

“No,” Jaebum replied. “I don’t think that’s necessary. It’s clean and neat enough. We don’t need to make the place smell like cleaning solution. We don’t want this house to be clinical—we want it to feel like a home.”

 

While everyone was tidying up, Jaebum called his father.

 

“Jaebum.” He seemed to have been expecting the call. “Did Youngjae ask his parents?”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said. “They said they’d be free Friday afternoon, for payment?”

 

“Let me see…” Jaebum’s father’s voice became distant as he went in search of his schedule. “Ah. I have a meeting at four, but I can reschedule that to earlier in the day. Sounds good, then. Tell Youngjae to tell his parents.”

 

“Will do. Thank you.”

 

“You’re doing a good thing,” his father reminded him. “You don’t have to sound so guilty.”

 

“I’m spending your money.”

 

“And I’m saying it’s a good use of the money. Don’t worry.”

 

“Okay. Thanks again.” It was reassuring, even though Jaebum knew he would worry anyway.

 

“No problem. I have to get back to work if I want to get home at a reasonable hour.”

 

“Okay, go ahead. Don’t work too late.”

 

“I’ll try. See you Friday.” He hung up.

 

Right around a quarter past five, the doorbell rang. Everyone dashed to the hallway.

 

“No,” Jaebum said softly. “Let’s not overwhelm him. Jackson and Mark can stay because he knows them best, but the rest of you, go wait in the living room. You’ll meet him soon enough.” He shooed them. “Go!”

 

Jackson opened the door, and there stood Youngjae, a bag bundled in his arms. He smiled a little when he saw them, and turned to wave at a car on the street.

 

“Did you have trouble finding us?” Jaebum asked as Youngjae took off his shoes.

 

“No,” Youngjae said. “We have a GPS.” He straightened and looked around. “This is—this is really nice.”

 

Mark laughed. “Do you want to see where your room will be?”

 

Youngjae blinked. “I’ll have my own room?”

 

“Of course, silly,” Jackson said. “What, you think we all cram into one bedroom every night? We’d never be able to sleep.”

 

“It’s down the hall,” Jaebum said. “You can drop your stuff, and then we’ll show you around the rest of the house.”

 

“Where are the other hybrids?” Youngjae asked as they headed to his room.

 

“In the living room. They all want to meet you, but I figured it would be best if you didn’t see them all at once, right when you walked in the door.” Jaebum grinned. “Didn’t want to scare you, that’s all.”

 

“Thanks.” Jaebum detected a note of dryness in the boy’s response and stifled a laugh.

 

“Here’s the room. There’s a bathroom—yours only, you won’t share it with anyone. You can drop your stuff on the bed or something, and then we can go get the others and show you around the house.” Jaebum paused, then remembered his phone call. “Oh, and my dad says Friday works."

 

“Sounds great. I’ll tell my parents when I go home tomorrow.” Youngjae dropped his things on the bed like Jaebum suggested and followed the other three back out and into the living room.

 

“Hi, Youngjae!” Jinyoung said as soon as they came in. “This is Bambam, and this is Yugyeom. They’re both seventeen, but Bambam’s turning eighteen in a couple months.”

 

“Hi,” Youngjae greeted.

 

“We were thinking we could all give Youngjae a quick tour of the house? We have to be careful, though, because that’s a lot of people running around in a pack,” Jaebum cautioned.

 

“We’re not in kindergarten, Jaebum,” Bambam said. “We can handle ourselves.”

 

“Can you really? Sometimes I wonder,” Jaebum said sarcastically. “Okay, here goes…”

 

And the tour went about as smoothly as Jaebum expected—nothing was broken (though Jackson did fall up the stairs), and there was a lot of yelling, but everyone came out of it in one piece. Afterwards, Jinyoung and Jaebum went to fix dinner while the other five ran off to play games.

 

“You know what I think?” Jinyoung said after they put the casseroles in the oven.

 

“What?” Jaebum put down the oven mitts and leaned back against the counter, bracing his palms against it as well and crossing his right leg over his left.

 

“It feels complete like this. The house does. We do.” Jinyoung shook out his hair breezily. “Seven is a good number.”

 

“I think so too,” Jaebum said, nodding. “It’s just going to be so hard, having to turn away other hybrids.”

 

“You don’t have to save everyone,” Jinyoung said softly. “This is more than enough.”

 

“I know. It’ll be hard, knowing I can’t do anything for them, though.”

 

“You can still do something, you know. Give them support, friendship. Whoever and wherever they may be.”

 

Jaebum nodded slowly. “Jinyoung,” he said suddenly. “What are you going to do when you graduate?”

 

“Me? Oh, I’ve no idea,” Jinyoung said with a laugh. “Sell my art, maybe.”

 

“I… I had a thought.” Jaebum said, and then shook his head. “No, never mind. That’s not important now.”

 

Jinyoung looked at Jaebum curiously. “Well, when you feel like sharing, you know where to find me.”

 

“Yes.” Jaebum filed the idea away for much later. “But right now, we need to worry about Youngjae, and getting him settled.”

 

“All right.” And Jinyoung let it drop. “These are almost done.” He bent to peer into the oven. “Yeah, the peppers are sizzling.”

 

Jinyoung took out the food and set the table while Jaebum went to fetch the others. They had a lively dinner, and when Jaebum saw that Youngjae filled the last spot at the table, he couldn’t help but think of what Jinyoung said.

 

  
_Seven_ is  _a good number. This might just be perfect._  


* * *

 

Friday afternoon came, and Jaebum saw the others home before joining his parents on the way to Youngjae’s house. Youngjae had gone home with his parents to finish packing.

 

The proceedings were similar to the last times. Jaebum’s parents offered a nice price for Youngjae—around seven million won, which Youngjae’s parents quickly agreed to. They seemed sweet, and unassuming, though rather clueless about Youngjae and his needs. 

 

“Oh,” Youngjae’s father said, as he was signing the contract. “This isn’t anything on the contract here, but I was wondering—could Youngjae come to visit some days? We’re rather close to the school, and—well, he’s our son, we’ll miss him!”

 

Jaebum narrowed his eyes slightly, but Youngjae didn’t show any sign of protest. “That’s perfectly fine,” he said, nodding at his father. “I’m not trying to steal him away from you. Family is family, after all.”

 

“Looks like things are more or less sorted, then,” Mr. Im said. “Youngjae, do you have boxes that you need to take to the car?”

 

“Yes,” Youngjae said. “I have a few.”

 

“I’ll help you carry them.” Jaebum stood, and followed Youngjae out of the sitting room and down the stairs to his room. 

 

“It’s these.” Youngjae pointed to five medium boxes on the floor of his room. 

 

“Help me stack three in my arms, and then you can carry the other two,” Jaebum offered.

 

“O-okay.” Youngjae balanced three boxes between Jaebum’s hands and chest, and then scooped up the remaining two. “Do you think they’re done?”

 

“Even if they’re not, we can just go put these in the car,” Jaebum replied, ducking carefully out into the hallway as so not to disturb the boxes, and let Youngjae lead him back out into the living room.

 

Jaebum’s father was packing the papers away when they came in. He looked up, and laughed when he saw Jaebum. “Let me take one,” he said. reaching out. With the box tucked under his arm, he reached over to shake Youngjae’s parents’ hands. “Thank you.”

 

“Oh, thank  _you_ ,” Youngjae’s mother replied. “We’ll see you soon, Youngjae?”

 

“Yeah,” Youngjae replied. “I’ll see you.”

 

“Thank you for your son,” Mrs. Im said, her customary goodbye in these situations, and with that, the Ims and Youngjae went out to the car to pile all the boxes in the trunk.

 

It didn’t seem like a terribly emotional affair for Youngjae. He was rather stoic on the ride back to Jaebum’s house, though as they got closer, he brightened and began to chat. Jaebum watched him, but decided it must just be nerves. By the time they were pulling up the front doors, Youngjae was cheerful and smiling.

 

“I quite like him,” Jaebum’s mother said quietly to Jaebum as Mr. Im and Youngjae unpacked the boxes from the trunk.

 

“Me too,” Jaebum replied. “I should probably go—but thank you. For helping, for everything.”

 

“Of course.” Jaebum’s mother hugged him quickly, and then stepped back to let him go to Youngjae. She waved as Jaebum unlocked the front door.

 

“They’re back!” Jackson yelled as soon as the door was open. “How did it go?”

 

“Great,” Jaebum said. “He’s ours.”

 

Bambam and Yugyeom and Mark and Jinyoung hurtled into sight from out of nowhere, blowing plastic kazoos ( _where did they get kazoos?)_ and clapping. Youngjae looked started, but then he began to laugh, and Jaebum laughed with him.

 

“Well,” Jaebum said, giving his parents a last wave and shutting the door. “Welcome to the family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading! As always, please comment ^^ I want to know what you think! If you want to yell at me, my tumblr is [here](suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask)! (and follow me maybe ^^) For those of you wondering, yes, there is more to Youngjae's backstory than currently meets the eye... stay tuned!


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting! I hope it lives up to your anticipations~

_(Mark’s POV)_

 

Mark had taken special interest in Youngjae. He wasn’t quite sure why—he guessed it was because Youngjae seemed like him—more quiet, internal, and he seemed like he could use a friend. 

 

This was not to say that the others were horrible or anything, just that Mark wanted to be a unintrusive source of comfort. He often offered to walked him between classes—not just to watch out for him, but because he liked being around someone who was, at times, more introspective. 

 

Youngjae went home every couple of days or so to see his parents. He said he missed them a lot, but Mark wasn’t so sure. He knew what loving and missing your parents looked like—that was Jackson. This, this felt… off. Somehow.

 

It was about a week after Youngjae had officially moved in with them. He had been at his parent’s for the night, and he was meeting the rest of them at the front gates.

 

“Youngjae!” Jackson called as soon as he was within sight (though perhaps not earshot. Youngjae waved anyway). 

 

“Did you decide about the weekend?” Jaebum asked him as they drew nearer. 

 

“Yeah,” Youngjae said, nodding. “I’m going to go back on Friday night, and then come over on Sunday morning.”

 

“Okay.” Mark detected a note of sadness in Jaebum’s voice—he had told them how of course he allowed visits, but Mark was getting the feeling he hadn’t know just how much he had agreed to. It was likely that he thought it would be just like Jackson, who went home around once a week now to check on his mother.

 

“We’ll miss you,” Jinyoung said lightly as they began walking to the main building.

 

Mark slung an arm around Youngjae’s shoulders, and give him a soft, reassuring squeeze. He thought he heard him gasp and felt him flinch, but when he looked over, Youngjae was smiling at him. Unsettled, Mark lifted his arm slightly. _Am I hurting him? I didn’t hold him that tightly, though, did I?_

 

“Are… you okay?” Mark asked him slowly. _I won’t press. Unintrusive. I’m giving him the chance to say something, and if he doesn’t want to, then I won’t press._

 

“Huh? Oh, yes,” Youngjae said quickly. Mark noticed his eyes flicking around as he answered.

 

“Okay,” Mark said simply. _Maybe I should mention it to Jaebum. I can’t be the only one worrying._

 

They parted ways as class time drew near. Mark went through the day half-distracted, thinking of Youngjae. He was normally jumpy and Mark knew that, but he didn’t normally shy away from physical contact, at least not like that. Mark was glad to finally be out of classes at the end of the day.

 

“I have a question," Jaebum said on the way home.

 

“For whom?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“All of you. Any of you. Would it be weird if we got a cat?”

 

“Jaebum, you’re dumb,” Jackson said bluntly. “No, it wouldn’t be weird. I wouldn’t feel weird if we got a dog. I’d be best friends with that dog.”

 

“I wanted to make sure!” Jaebum defended.

 

“Why’d you ask?” Mark inquired.

 

“Oh, I was thinking about getting a cat, maybe… I saw this cute Siamese kitten the other day.” Jaebum shrugged.

 

“Isn’t Yugyeom allergic?” Jinyoung pointed out.

 

“Why doesn’t he sneeze around Mark and Bambam, then?” Jackson wondered.

 

“I don’t think it’s the same,” Mark mused, flicking his tail.

 

“Is he allergic to dogs?” Youngjae spoke up. “I’ve always wanted a dog…”

 

“You can ask him when we get home,” Jaebum suggested. 

 

Conversations about pets carried them all the way home (Jackson was interested in having a pet plant (no one quite knew what to say about that). Jinyoung wanted a bird). Mark kept an eye on Youngjae every step of the way, but if he was uncomfortable, he betrayed no signs of it. Still, Mark was determined to bring it up to Jaebum, if for no other reason than to assuage his own fears in Jaebum’s confident reassurances. He suspected, however, that that was not how it would go.

 

“Can I talk to you?” Mark asked him, quietly, once they were in the house. “Alone?”

 

“Yeah,” Jaebum murmured back, hanging up his coat. “Let’s go up to my room.”

 

They slipped away upstairs while the others filled Bambam and Yugyeom in on the talk of pets. Jaebum shut the door behind him and turned to face Mark. “So?”

 

“So… I’m worried. About Youngjae.”

 

Instantly, Jaebum’s face fell. “You’ve noticed it too,” he stated. “I was kind of… kind of…”

 

“Hoping it was just your imagination? Me too,” Mark confessed. “I don’t think so, though.”

 

“No, clearly not. What happened today?”

 

“Today?”

 

“You’re coming to me today.”

 

“Oh. Well. I kinda, I wrapped my arm around his shoulder—you know. Gently. And gave him a quick squeeze, gently. And he flinched and I think I heard him gasp, only since I wasn’t looking at him I couldn’t be sure… when I looked, he was smiling like nothing happened.” Mark shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe I surprised him? Maybe he doesn’t like being touched? But he hasn’t reacted like that before, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t that I hurt him—I was really gentle, I promise…”

 

“I believe you.” Jaebum frowned. “And it feels like, if we ask, he’ll brush us off.”

 

“Right.”

 

“Maybe he’s still adjusting.” Jaebum heaved a heavy sigh. “I don’t know what I can do.”

 

“Maybe.” Mark chewed on his lip, thinking. “I guess… I guess the best thing we can do is look out for him, and hope for the best. If we notice anything new, we’ll tell each other?”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum agreed. “I think I might talk to Jinyoung about it, but other than that—I’m just worried Jackson might be too aggressive about it. You know how he gets when he’s worried.”

 

“Yes,” Mark said with a laugh. “I don’t think that would be good for Youngjae’s nerves.”

 

“We’ll figure it out,” Jaebum said bravely even though Mark knew that they both knew that they were too close for Jaebum to be fooling anyone. “We always do.”

 

Later that night, Mark was walking past Youngjae’s room to the living room, and he glimpsed through the half-open door just a flash of Youngjae’s reflection in the bathroom mirror, twisted around and shirt collar stretched down his arm. Mark thought it would be suspicious to double-back and check again, and he had promised himself not to pry. And yet… 

 

Were those marks _bruising_ that he had seen on Youngjae’s exposed shoulder?

 

* * *

 

_(Youngjae’s POV)_

 

Youngjae’s bed at Jaebum’s place was comfortable—much more than he was used to. And it was saying something—the bed at his parents’ house was far from bad. And yet, he found it difficult to sleep. Maybe it was because when he was at Jaebum’s he wasn’t exhausted each night, and so sleep came more reluctantly. Pair that with the horrible, anxious apprehension and dread that made his stomach roil up to electrify his heart, and the soreness at every movement—no bed would have helped ease him into slumber. 

 

And yet, when he was at Jaebum’s, he did, at times, find himself in flickers of reprieve, the like of which he had never quite known. He was relaxed, laughed without thinking about it first, let his guard drop. He caught himself at it more and more and it scared him. Maybe it was just the environment—he certainly hoped so, because it was this defensiveness that helped him survive. 

 

He knew it confused and scared and maybe even hurt the others when they caught him unawares and called to him, or hugged him too roughly, and he flinched or gasped or both, but he couldn’t help that he was nervous, all the time. Even at times when he knew he was safe—one week of on-and-off rest was not enough to undo nineteen years of learned fear.

 

Friday after school, the others came to see him to his car to make sure he got to his parents safely. _Nice thought,_ Youngjae mused as he waved goodbye and ducked into the car _. But the danger isn’t out there. It’s here. And there’s nothing you can do about it._

 

“How was school?” his father asked levelly from the front passenger seat.

 

“Good, fine,” Youngjae mumbled, trying to keep resentment out of his voice. It would only make them angry.

 

“You have one tonight, and one tomorrow, so you’ll need to eat quickly when we get home,” Youngjae’s mother cut in, not even bothering to make eye contact in the rearview mirror. 

 

_That’s all I am to her, just something to shuttle around to make money for her. Wasn’t the money from Jaebum enough? Doesn’t that cover the debt I have to pay for being born a hybrid? If not, what will?_

 

Ever since Youngjae was a child, his mother had always used him to do the things that no one else in the family would, or could. As soon as he was old enough to walk and talk and do some things for himself, his mother set him on the task of cleaning the house so that they wouldn’t have to hire a maid. With the saved money, she could buy better clothes and school supplies for his two older siblings. Youngjae, she sent to school in hand-me-downs and whatever Youngjae managed to scavenge. 

 

As for his siblings and his father, Youngjae quickly learned to try not to hold grudges against them. His siblings were too young at the time of his birth to learn differently. When they got a little older, they had tried to put a stop to it. His mother had eased off, but once they went off to college, she picked it up again, maybe even worse than before, because it was all _his_ fault that his brother and sister had tried to intervene. And his father knew better than to try and stop her—he knew it would only make her harsher on Youngjae, and make the mood of the house even worse.

 

When Youngjae was about ten years old, his mother discovered he had a talent for singing. She began marketing him as a sort of pretty little songbird (or, Youngjae suppose, song _bunny_ )—just 5000 won for a song, and an extra 1000 if you wanted to choose which! Slowly, as his talent grew and as he evened out throughout puberty, the prices grew higher—and the services more widely ranged. It started with just being able to pet him (his ears _were_ soft)—that was extra, too. Then, as he grew older, more and more things were added until, of course, things took a turn for sexual. Of course, clients weren’t allowed to touch Youngjae anywhere inappropriate (they were really just restricted to his head and ears) and Youngjae was not allowed to touch the client at all. But the client could buy a song, or two, or three, and the allowance to do whatever they wanted when they were in the room with Youngjae, except touch. Youngjae wasn’t quite sure if this rule was a small mercy from his mother, or if she was just worried he wouldn’t be able to perform if she turned him into a prostitute, but either way he had been grateful. Still, he’d watched many anonymous men and women get off to watching him sing suggestive songs at their command.

 

This had been when Youngjae’s siblings had tried to step in. He stopped performing for a couple years, focused on his studies, and got himself into the university. But once he was in, his mother set him back to the old path, since his siblings and future were taken care of. The performances resumed, and with them came a sort of regiment. Youngjae had to eat properly—not too much, but not too little. He had to get good grades, otherwise he would be pulled out of school. He had to sleep the proper number of hours, and, most importantly, the one rule he’d always known: he was never to complain about his life, not to his mother, not to his father, not to his faraway siblings, and certainly, certainly, not to anyone outside the family.

 

That had been why his mother was so angry when Jaebum had decided to buy him. “You told him, didn’t you, you traitor? Went running to the rich Im kid for help as soon as you could? We ought to take you straight out of that school right now! I would if it wouldn’t make him suspicious. Why did you have to drag someone from the outside into family matters? We’ll be ruined!” She had hit him then, too, another thing Youngjae had been used to since childhood.

 

_Ruined?_ Youngjae had thought numbly. _I just got you more money in one day than I normally make in one month! You don’t even need it. You just want another nose job, or new clothes. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you._

 

He always imagined saying these kinds of things out loud, and then cried, part out of guilt, and part out of fear. He should hate his mother. She was family, no matter what she did. Right? And what if she could read minds? See right into his head? Where would he be then?

 

Many times, too, he imagined going to some kind of social worker, or a school counselor for help. But what good would it have done? There wouldn’t have been much they could do, and people’s eyes tended to haze over when they saw his bruises. Who cared, really, about another abused hybrid kid?

 

So Youngjae learned to keep his mouth shut, his expression impassive, his hands limp at his sides, and his anxiety swallowed down into a pressured bubble at the base of his throat, which overflowed into tears when his day was over. Every night, he looked for the new bruises. Every night at Jaebum’s, and every morning there, he got to see them fade. 

 

He was beginning to forget what his skin looked like without the marks. His mother was the kind of person that didn’t want to hurt her own hand to hit him, so she reached for the nearest object. Sometimes it was something like a slipper or a ruler. Other times, it was a mop or a metal saucepan lid, and once, a poker for the fireplace, thankfully cool. Marks of all shapes and sizes bloomed across his skin like a sick sunset.

 

_I am made of the sky. My skin is a patchwork of wishing._

 

“Did you hear me?” his mother asked sharply from the front seat.

 

Youngjae snapped to attention. “Yes, one tonight and one tomorrow.”

 

“Oh and…” Youngjae’s mother trailed off momentarily as she took the turn down their street. “I have a nail appointment Sunday morning at eight, so I need the car. I’m sorry, but do you think the Im kid could come get you? Or you could walk over yourself. Or—” and she finally made eye contact in the mirror as she pulled into the driveway. “You could stay here until the afternoon.”

 

Youngjae knew what would happen there—another client. “No,” he said quickly. Maybe a little too quickly; her eyes narrowed. “No,” he repeated, more calmly. “I’m sure Jaebum can come.”

 

“Call him when we get in,” was all she said in reply, lurching out of the car. 

 

Youngjae called Jaebum, making up a story about how they had gotten into a minor accident, and they’d had to get a tow-truck, and, no, no one was hurt, and it was in the shop now, but it wouldn’t be ready by Sunday, so could he please come get him then?

 

“Sure.” Jaebum’s easy voice flowed over the receiver and planted calmness and hope in Youngjae’s heart. “You’re not too far from me, right? I don’t really trust public transportation with hybrids—I’ll walk over, and we can walk back together. Does that sound okay?”

 

“Yes,” Youngjae agreed. “That sounds good.”

 

“Okay. What time should I be there?”

 

“Around nine or nine-thirty?” Youngjae suggested, hoping to give his mother enough time to be out of the area before Jaebum came so he wouldn’t see that he was lying.

 

“All right, I’ll be there.” Youngjae clung to the receiver, knowing his last thread to a happier, normal life would be cut until Sunday when the conversation ended. “Take care, okay? Rest well, and have a good time with your parents.” He heard indistinct talking. “And Yugyeom and Bambam say hello, since they didn’t see you this afternoon.”

 

“Tell them I say hello, too,” Youngjae said softly.

 

“I will. Okay, I won’t keep you. I’m glad everyone’s all right. Have a good night.”

 

And that was it. _Am I glad everyone’s all right?_ Youngjae let himself savor, briefly, what it would be like if they really had gotten into a crash—and if, better yet, his mother had been hurt or killed in it. Jaebum and the others would think him so brave. 

 

And in the next instant, any joy he had gotten from the notion was sapped away. How could he think of his mother that way? Did he wish her dead? Did he wish himself dead? Did he wish worry and burden on Jaebum, because of him? 

 

_Maybe that’s why my life is like this,_ Youngjae thought. _I’m a terrible person who thinks terrible, selfish thoughts. This is how I pay for it. There is no amount of money that can repay that kind of debt._

 

_It’s going to be like this forever._

 

Youngjae wasn’t sure how long he stood there, wallowing, but then—

 

“Are you coming to dinner? You have to. Your client will be here in just a couple hours.” His mother, from the hall. “Hurry up.”

 

He ate his dinner quickly, and went to get washed up and changed. His mother gave him another lecture, same as always—be polite, do as they ask, but if they try anything inappropriate, scream, but if you do it without reason, you’re in for it.. He knew all of this, so he picked at his sleeve and waited. Or rather, he let himself drift away. It’s what he always did—he would rather feel like he wasn’t attached to his body, than feel attached to it and engage with what was going on. He let his mother steer him into the room where a client was waiting, he saw himself bow, and then the door was shut behind them, and he felt himself depart completely.

 

Dissociating, he thought it was called. Just feeling like your body isn’t yours. Often used, improperly, as a coping mechanism for those undergoing significant stress. Certainly he had memories of what happened all the times he was with the clients, but most of the memories were distant, or hazy. It also made the process a little less painful; he could just let his eyes glaze over and his body do its own thing. 

 

It also made everything else easier—he could cope with getting hit because he could remind himself that his body was just a shell, just a flesh prison for his consciousness, and that anything done to his flesh prison wasn’t a reflection on his soul. This, of course, also negated the positive things, but as those were few and far between, it hardly made a difference.

 

And so that night's appointment flew by as if he was in a dream—a horrible, nightmarish one, granted, but there was something reassuring in knowing he would be able to wake up from it, eventually. On Sunday morning. 

 

_It’s not real if I don’t believe it’s real,_ he thought to himself, singing to the stranger across from him. _What is real, anyway?_

 

Vaguely, he registered that the expression on the client’s face was a mixture of concern, discomfort, and disgust, and as he finished singing, they stood quickly and hurried from the room. Youngjae was always to wait until his mother came to fetch him, so he stayed where he was, not coming back to himself. He heard a kind of buzzing in his ear, and realized it was his mother talking to him form the doorway.

 

“What the hell are you crying for?” she demanded, and it was only then that Youngjae realized his cheeks were wet. He reached up to wipe at them (was it really his own face he was touching?) and he could feel where the salt water had crusted and dried. 

 

“You disturbed that man so much, I had to give him a discount!” His mother was still raging. She flailed around her, found nothing, and so, for the first time, flew at him with her bare hands. “What is wrong with you? You’re so fucking ungrateful! We provide for you even now that you’re an adult—we could’ve thrown you out or sold you to a brothel the second you turned eighteen, but we didn’t because you’re our son, but if you can’t contribute to this goddamn family then you can’t be a part of it. You’ve never been like that before. I suppose you think you’re safe now with that Jaebum boy, but how long until he finds out just how useless you are, too? What then?” She punctuated each sentence, each pause, with a blow. “What the hell then? Will your pathetic tears win him back over? Stupid, weak boy, selfish and only thinking for yourself.” She slapped him across one cheek and brought her arm back to backhand the other. Her knuckles broke skin along Youngjae’s cheekbones, and each flash of pain brought him closer to himself—which wasn’t how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be able to detach from this (unhealthy, he knew, but it was better than the alternative), but as soon as she said Jaebum’s name he was so within himself that it hurt. It felt like he was straining against his own skin. It felt like his bones were breaking. Maybe they were. 

 

Somewhere his mother had found a pair of chopstick, and she was striking him across the neck with them, over and over, so it felt like he was choking. He was still crying—sobbing now, really. His mother continued to scream, and he couldn’t un-hear any of it, and he couldn’t distance himself from her voice and the pain, and there were too many things inside him, so that if he weren’t so busy crying, he would have probably been screaming, too. 

 

Eventually, she tired, and left him there, bleeding slightly, bruised all over, on the floor of the room. An hour passed before Youngjae’s tears began to subside, and it was at this time that his father came down to help him to his room. He applied a sort of soothing balm to Youngjae’s face and neck where he had been hit, and his hands, and tucked him in. Youngjae was spiraling down into a dizzying blackness, so he couldn’t be sure, but he was almost certain that he had heard his father say, “I’m sorry,” before he turned off the light and shut the door. 

 

The next morning, Youngjae’s entire body was purpled with bruises and he could barely move. His face and neck had been mostly spared, as well as his hands, though whether that was due to his mother’s prudence or his father’s care, he didn’t know. His mother told Youngjae by proxy that she had cancelled the client scheduled for that afternoon, having told them that he had come down with a cold and could not sing. Youngjae wasn’t sure how to be grateful for it, when it was her fault he couldn’t perform in the first place. 

 

So all day he rested, reapplying the balm to the more visible parts of his body. He didn’t want to worry Jaebum. His father brought him food at midday, and a small bag of cosmetics which included a lot of different concealers, foundations, and powders to cover up any marks. 

 

Youngjae slept, and when he woke it was early Sunday morning and his mother was leaving. He breathed out a deep sigh when the front door slammed shut, and lay in his bed for a long while before painstakingly forcing himself up, wincing as he went. The house felt stiller without his mother in it. He caught his reflection in the mirror and gasped. His neck had a purpled stripe on it, diagonal, and he had a deep blue-black bruise at his temple. There was absolutely no way he would be able to cover it up with the products his father had brought him. Perhaps if he had colors to work with… but it was too late. He’d have to do what he could and… and… _and what? What can I tell them?_

 

Youngjae met his own gaze in the mirror, eyes widening. _Of course!_ The supposed car accident. He could say the bruising on his neck was just from his seatbelt, and the one on his temple… maybe from hitting it against a window. The rest, he could cover up more easily, or perhaps with those specifics, no one would ask after them. 

 

Carefully, Youngjae applied some concealer to the more telling marks, and spread foundation and powder on the backs of his hands as well, to hide the fading fingerprint-shaped marks there. He dressed in a long sleeve white shirt and jeans, and then went downstairs in search of food. He watched the window. He waited for Jaebum to come.

 

* * *

 

_(Jaebum’s POV)_

 

Jaebum would have to get up early on Sunday to go get Youngjae. Luckily, he didn’t really live that far away—further than Jackson, certainly, but not far enough to ask for a company car. Jaebum didn’t want to risk a taxi either (who knew what the driver would do once they saw Youngjae’s ears) so Jaebum had decided he would walk. The weather forecast was pleasant enough—chilly, and cloudy, but dry. 

 

“I’m going to pick Youngjae up tomorrow morning,” Jaebum announced at dinner on Saturday night. “I’ll be leaving early, so I don’t want to wake you all, but I’m just letting you know.”

 

“I hope the accidentally really wasn’t that serious,” Mark said, his brow creased.

 

“He sounded all right when I spoke to him Friday night, so I think he’s okay,” Jaebum replied. Mark only nodded.

 

The next morning, Jaebum got up at eight and was out the door by eight-thirty, grabbing a quick breakfast. He also brought some toast for Youngjae, in case he didn’t get a chance to eat. 

 

As he (and Google Maps) predicted, it was about a forty-five minute walk. He arrived at the quaint house at around a quarter past nine, and rang the doorbell.

 

Youngjae answered it, and Jaebum nearly screamed aloud. He had a big bruise on his temple and another running diagonally across his neck.

 

“What—?”

 

“I’ll tell you in a second,” Youngjae said quietly, then called over his shoulder, “Dad! Jaebum-hyung is here, I’m going!”

 

“Okay!” Jaebum heard from deep within the house. “Be safe! See you later.”

 

Youngjae nudged Jaebum outside, closing the door behind him.

 

“What happened?” Jaebum asked, reaching out and laying a hand gently over the purple blossom on Youngjae’s face.

 

“I hit my head on the window when the car swerved.”

 

“You said no one was hurt!”

 

“I’m fine, Jaebum, just a little bruised,” Youngjae insisted. Jaebum watched him carefully. “Don’t worry about me. Please.”

 

_Please?_ Jaebum frowned, unsure of what to make of it. “Okay… Well, when we get home, I want to take a look—I have some bruise balm, if nothing else. Was that from your seatbelt?”

 

Youngjae touched the marking on his neck, looking vaguely startled. “This? Yes.”

 

“Well, I’m glad your injuries aren’t worse,” Jaebum said, deciding to let it drop. A cold wind blew by suddenly, rustling the trees and making Youngjae shiver. “Come on, it’s starting to look stormy, and it’s not exactly a short walk. Let’s get going.”

 

They walked along in mostly comfortable silence. Jaebum knew Youngjae was quiet, so he didn’t want to harass him with meaningless small talk. He only asked how his weekend had been so far, and Youngjae had just shrugged, and said it had been alright. Jaebum didn’t think either of them particularly wanted to unpack that response at the moment, so he didn’t question him further.

 

He kept glancing, too, at the mark on Youngjae’s neck. It _could_ have been from a seatbelt, but something in Jaebum’s gut was telling him otherwise. What was it? 

 

Clouds gathered on the horizon. Jaebum glanced at Youngjae, and saw he didn’t have a coat. Subtly, he tried to pick up the pace, his mind still half on the bruising. He looked over again, and clenched his jaw.

 

Youngjae’s right temple was the one that was bruised, which meant he was sitting on the right side of the car at the time of the accident. If he had been, the seatbelt mark should also be going the same way—higher on the right side of his neck and down to the left. But it wasn’t—it was opposite. He supposed it _was_ possible that he could have slid across the car… but if the seatbelt hadn’t held him back from sliding that far, there wouldn’t have been a mark from the seatbelt. 

 

And what had Mark been saying just a couple of days before? That when he hugged him, Youngjae flinched like he had hurt him? What if he had, accidentally, without knowing? Jaebum began connecting dots in his head. _But it just doesn’t make sense. Wouldn’t he tell me?_

 

At that instant, a loud clap of thunder startled Jaebum back into the present, and, before he could react, the sky opened and it began to pour.

 

“We’d better run!” Jaebum yelled, grabbing Youngjae’s hand as rainwater streamed into his eyes. They were still about fifteen minutes away at walking pace, but if they ran for it, it would only be about five. “Come on!”

 

Youngjae was laughing, and despite what Jaebum just worked out, he had to laugh, too. It was raining like it was never going to rain again, huge fat drops that splashed onto the pavement and the two boys’ hair, the kind that soaks all the way through thick coats and leaves a fresh smell on your skin. Fresh-rain-smell filled the air, and it was a heady scent, something like new beginnings. 

 

Finally, they made it to Jaebum’s porch. They collapsed against the walls next to the door, chests heaving. 

 

“God! I’m sorry, the weather report didn’t say rain, so I didn’t bring an umbrella,” Jaebum apologized.

 

“It’s okay,” Youngjae wheezed in reply, still bent over and trying to catch his breath.

 

“Let’s get inside and get warm,” Jaebum said, determined now to drag Youngjae up to his room and find out if his theory was true. They stumbled inside and kicked off their shoes, then hurried upstairs, trying not to drip water everywhere as they went. 

 

Once they were in Jaebum’s room, he found a big fluffy towel and threw it to Youngjae. “Here. I think the best thing would be a hot shower. You can use some of my clothes, since we’re both wet and I think it would be imprudent to go downstairs and retrieve yours.”

 

Youngjae nodded and let Jaebum steer him into the bathroom. Jaebum flicked on the lights and was about to go back and find clothes that would fit Youngjae, but he saw Youngjae’s face and stopped.

 

Under the light, his bruising was thrown into clarity—and not only that, but there was more than there had been before. His hands, too, where marked—with what looked like fingerprints, and his wet shirt clung to his body. Through the white fabric, Jaebum could see the outlines of more purple blooms—they seemed to cover at least half his skin. Maybe more. Probably more. 

 

“Youngjae.” Jaebum took a step toward him and the bunny hybrid hung his head. “Youngjae. What happened?” Youngjae did not answer. “Youngjae,” Jaebum said again, trying to keep a stutter from his voice. He took him by the shoulders, as gently as he could. “It wasn’t a car accident, was it?” he asked softly.

 

Youngjae shook his head, his eyes still trained on the ground. “No,” he whispered. “There was no car accident.”

 

“Who did this to you?” Jaebum asked again. “You didn’t look like this on Friday, so I know it wasn’t one of us. Who? I know it can’t be the first time, either.”

 

Youngjae shook his head. “You’ll be mad.”

 

“Of course I’ll be mad, but I’m not going to be mad at you. I promise. Not at you. Whatever this is, it’s not your fault.” Jaebum tentatively ran a hand through Youngjae’s hair, hoping to soothe him. “It’s not your fault. The only person you are obligated to protect is yourself, and to do that you have to tell me who’s hurting you.”

 

Youngjae shook his head again, more vigorously. “It’s a long story. I can’t, I can’t.”

 

Jaebum said and nodded to Youngjae’s back. “Can I see, then?”

 

Youngjae turned, peeling his shirt off at the same time. Jaebum gasped, one hand flying up to cover his mouth, the other reaching out, trembling, to ghost over the marks. “I feel sick,” he murmured against his hand. “Why would anyone do this to you?” 

 

“It started when I was 10 years old—not this, not all of it—” Youngjae began his story haltingly. “My siblings aren’t hybrids. And… and I am.” 

 

The more Jaebum listened, the sicker he grew. He was sick with fear and sick with grief and sick with rage and just sick. His chest burned, it boiled. He reeled, he shuddered, he clenched his fists and his jaw.

 

Youngjae was, it seemed, telling him absolutely everything, from his mother to the rest of his family, to the singing and the clients and the dissociating, all the way to the crying on Friday night. 

 

“—and now, I’ve told you all of this, even if I wasn’t supposed to, and she’s going to be so mad!” Youngjae’s voice hiccuped, and Jaebum saw tears swell in his eyes. Youngjae deflated, said in a very small voice, “Oh my god. She’s going to kill me.”

 

And the tears flowed over and he was sobbing and shaking and all Jaebum could do was fold him into his arms and rock him until he quieted.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jaebum finally asked. “Why didn’t you tell me right away? Why didn’t you say something when your father asked for you to be able to visit?”

 

“I just wanted you to like me! I didn’t want to be a burden, and there wasn’t much you could do, and I didn’t want to scare away my only shot at a semi-normal life,” Youngjae replied blurrily. “I don’t want to make trouble for you and now… now I have.”

 

“This isn’t your fault,” Jaebum repeated.

 

“She said I couldn’t ever tell anyone,” Youngjae mumbled. “She said she’d hurt me if I did."

 

“She was wrong. You did the right thing to tell me, and I’m not going to let her hurt you,” Jaebum said firmly. “You’re not going back. Or, at least, you’re not going back without me.”

 

“I don’t want to go back,” Youngjae blurted. “I don’t want to go back. She doesn’t love me. She just wants money. She doesn’t love me.” His voice broke, and he stopped talking.

 

“She doesn’t love you,” Jaebum agreed. “And I’m sorry for that. That’s not fair. But this—” he gestured to the cruel evidence of the beatings, “ —isn’t love, and I don’t want you to delude yourself into thinking it is, because that’s not healthy for you.” Youngjae nodded, tucking himself closer to Jaebum’s chest. “But Youngjae—”

 

Youngjae tilted his head up. “Hm?”

 

“You are loved. You know that, right? You are safe here.” Youngjae’s eyes grew wide, uncomprehending. Jaebum held him closer. “You are loved, you are loved, and you mustn’t ever forget that. You’ll get better, and we’ll help you recover.”

 

Youngjae dissolved into tears again, but quieter this time, and maybe, Jaebum thought, maybe even happy

 

“It’s over now, okay? You know that?”

 

“I’m scared.”

 

“Repeat after me: I am safe.” Jaebum looked Youngjae in the eye.

 

“I… I am safe.” Youngjae said the words slowly, like they felt foreign in his mouth.

 

“My pain and I are valid.”

 

“M-my pain and I are… are… valid.” Youngjae brushed more tears from his eyes.

 

“No one can force me to do things.”

 

“No one can force me to do things.” Jaebum watched—Youngjae threw his shoulders back a little as he said it. His voice became more stable.

 

“And I have the freedom to do whatever makes me the most happy.” Jaebum took one of Youngjae’s hands when he said this.

 

“And I have the freedom to do whatever makes me the most happy,” Youngjae agreed.

 

“Okay.” Jaebum took a deep breath, and Youngjae breathed with him. “Now. I’m not going to let you go back to that. You don’t have to perform for anyone ever again if you don’t want to. And you don’t have to see your mother again, either.”

 

“What about my father?” Youngjae asked timidly.

 

Jaebum was angry about his father, but he swallowed it, knowing it wasn’t the time. “Do you want to see him?”

 

“Just to say goodbye. He did try to help me,” Youngjae said. “He did the best he could. No one would have lifted a finger if he tried to reach out to someone for me because I’m a hybrid.”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum acknowledged, his heart heavy. “I’ll see how to get in touch—I’ll ask my father. We’ll work something out for you, all right?” Youngjae nodded. “But now, we both need to shower, and get warm and dry, and then go down and see if the others are awake, and what they’re thinking for breakfast.” He looked at Youngjae kindly. “Don’t feel scared. This house is safe. No one will hurt you here, and your mother doesn’t know that we know yet, so she won’t come storming over. We’ll make a plan about how to tell her later, but for right now we need to take care of the small things. Yes?”

 

“Yes.” Youngjae sounded almost confident. “I’ll be okay.”

 

“Yes, you will, because you’re strong and smart,” Jaebum told him. “Go hop into the shower. I’ll grab some clean clothes and put them inside the door, and then I’ll see what I can find in terms of those bruises. This is the first step to erasing her. One bruise at a time. One word at a time.”

 

Youngjae nodded and went to turn on the water so that it could warm. _One breath at a time,_ Jaebum added to himself as he went to his dresser. _Each one clearer and cleaner than the last._ It was one mystery solved, at the very least, and they would solve the next and the next. Jaebum had made promises to all of his hybrids, and he was going to keep them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, and for all your sweet comments! I really appreciate it. 
> 
> Again, my tumblr is [here](www.suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask)! if you want to yell, my ask box is always open. Also, I do occasionally post little teaser and things~~ so following me or at least checking from time to time~~~ wouldn't be such a bad idea~~~ *shamlessly self promos haha*


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am back! ^^ One note, really--I don't know anything about law systems so? It might be inaccurate! Sorry OTL

Once they were both warm and dry, Jaebum and Youngjae went downstairs together to see about breakfast. The others were already in the kitchen in varying states of wakefulness (Jackson was half asleep with his arms on the table and his chin resting on his arms), while Jinyoung threw something together.

 

“I figured you guys were showering,” Jinyoung said without looking up. “I would call that a torrential downpour.”

 

“Yeah, it totally caught us by surprise,” Jaebum said, awkwardly.

 

“But Youngjae’s here now! Hey—” Mark broke off when he turned to look at Youngjae. “Oh my god. Oh my god. I knew I saw bruising the other night. What happened?”

 

Jaebum sighed. “I’m sorry to dampen breakfast. But we need to talk.”

 

Everyone drew up to the table, even Jinyoung, who turned the fire off under whatever he was cooking. Mark reached out to Youngjae and Youngjae scooted his chair closer so that he could lean against Mark. Jaebum couldn’t hear what Mark was murmuring to Youngjae, but he saw him kiss his hair.

 

“This is how I found Youngjae when I picked him up today,” Jaebum began when Youngjae didn’t volunteer to speak. “Long story short, his mother has… has been abusing him since he was very small. Youngjae has a talent for singing, and she’s been selling him to people for songs or hours at a time. They’re not allowed to do more to him than pet his hair, but they can do whatever they want, as long as they don’t touch him. Youngjae’s mother told him to never tell anyone about it, but he was very brave, and he told me.” 

 

“Well,” Jackson said, looking much more awake than when they had first entered the kitchen. “That’s horrifying and I’m ready to commit violent murder.”

 

Youngjae smiled at Jackson. “I don’t think that will be necessary,” he said. “But thank you for the sentiment.”

 

“The most important thing now is Youngjae’s safety,” Jaebum continued. “His mother doesn’t know he’s told us, so he’s safe right now, but she’ll grow suspicious if we just refulse to let him go back. Besides, Youngjae wants to at least say a full goodbye to his father.” 

 

“It will be difficult to confront her, though,” Jinyoung said. “Could your father do anything, Jaebum?”

 

“I was going to call him sometime today to find out,” Jaebum replied. “I don’t know. I hope so. What we do have on our side is that the visits were never written into the contract that we signed—it was just a favor I offered Youngjae’s family, one that I can and will rescind. So, worst case scenario is that I force Youngjae’s mother to accept that by saying we won’t report her for abuse and for trying to steal and profit off of one of my hybrids. Which is not my favorite way to talk about a hybrid, but that’s how the law is worded, so…” He turned to Youngjae. “How would you feel about that?”

 

“That’s the worst case scenario?” Youngjae asked. “That sounds great.”

 

“Well, ideally we would be able to report your mother and make her pay for what she’s done,” Yugyeom explained. “But that may or may not be feasible. The least Jaebum can do is guarantee you safety and an assurance that she won’t bother you, even if she goes free.”

 

“Oh,” Youngjae said, and Jaebum got the feeling that he was struggling with the concept of justice, and with the idea that he had a right to safety from her.

 

“This is just an idea,” Bambam began, “but what if you called your dad now, when we can all weigh in? Would that be okay?”

 

“That’s actually a really good thought,” Jaebum agreed. “Do you guys like that?” He saw nods from all around the table. “All right.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, dialed his father, and placed it in the middle of the table on speaker.

 

“Jaebum?”

 

“Hi, Dad, I have you on speaker, and all the others are here as well. We have a, uh, situation.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“It’s about Youngjae.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“His parents wanted him to be able to visit because they’ve been using him to perform and get money. His mother has been forcing him to do this against his will, in a very inappropriate setting, and she physically abuses him. She forbid him, of course, from telling anyone, and does not know yet that Youngjae has told us. What do you suggest we do?”

 

“If it were a matter of Youngjae still being her son, and that you didn’t own him, I would say our options are limited. But since he’s technically your hybrid now, and nothing in our contract said that she could be allowed to see him and/or use him for her own benefits, there’s a lot we can do,” Mr. Im said levelly. Jaebum heard a few sighs of relief from around the room. “Youngjae?” he asked.

 

“Y-yes?”

 

“I want you to know how sorry I am for this. We should have checked with you before agreeing to let you visit. We should have been more careful. I am sorry that you felt that you couldn’t tell us. I’m sorry you had to suffer like this for so long. But I can promise you safety now,” Jaebum’s father said.

 

“Th-thank you. It’s all right,” Youngjae stuttered out.

 

“Youngjae wants to say goodbye to his father, though,” Jaebum said. “Do you think that will be possible?”

 

“Quite,” Mr. Im said. “I’ll contact my lawyer—at the very least we can get a restraining order. Is that all right, Youngjae?”

 

“Yes—thank you,” Youngjae stammered. 

 

“And then perhaps you will be able to freely go see your father,” Mr. Im continued. “I’ll look into it now. I’m glad you told Jaebum.”

 

“Thanks, Dad,” Jaebum replied.

 

“Thank you, Mr. Im,” the hybrids chorused. 

 

“No problem, you guys.” Jaebum thought he heard a smile in his father’s voice. “I’ll be in touch.”

 

Jaebum hung up, and turned to Youngjae. “There. Settled. For once, the law is on our side.”

 

Jinyoung snorted. “It’s kind of a dumb law, though,” he said. “It’s like, ‘only I can abuse my hybrids.’ I mean, not in Jaebum’s case, but in general—ah, sorry. Sometimes, I get mad.”

 

“And sometimes, you’re not… as mad,” Jackson said. “We know.”

 

“Is that anyway to speak to the person who cooks your meals? I could poison your dish—yah, yah, hyung, I know you’re stronger than me—ah, really, that hurts—do you want to eat or not? If you break my arm, will I be able to cook?”

 

“Noisy,” Mark grumbled, catching Jaebum’s eye. Jaebum grinned back.

 

After they settled down and finished breakfast, Jaebum left the others to do the dishes, shooing Youngjae back upstairs so that he could take a look at the bruises and maybe give him some bruise balm. 

 

Youngjae stood still, shirtless in front of the mirror as Jaebum paced back and forth, taking stock. 

 

“I’m going to put some disinfectant on that little cut on your face. It’s probably nothing, and I’m sure it will heal cleanly without it, but I just want to be safe,” he said finally. “It’ll sting a little.”

 

“That’s okay,” Youngjae replied.

 

“Close your eyes.” Jaebum put his thumb over Youngjae’s eyelid to ensure none of the disinfectant got in it, and then sprayed the cut. Youngjae winced but stayed calm, and Jaebum gently patted a little bandaid over it when he was done.

 

“Jaebum,” Youngjae said. “It’s dumb, but I’m still scared.”

 

“It’s not dumb,” Jaebum soothed. “I’m scared, too. I want you to be safe. I don’t want your mother to yell at you. I don’t want her to hurt you. But she might try to when she finds out. I’ll be there, though. You won’t ever have to face her alone again.” He rubbed Youngjae’s back. “I won’t tell you not to be scared, because you can’t help it. But I will tell you that I’ll be by your side through all of it, and I think the others will be as well.”

 

They were silent for a few moments as Jaebum applied the bruise balm. 

 

“Why do you care so much?” Youngjae asked quietly.

 

Jaebum jumped, and then furrowed his brow. “Because you’ve done absolutely nothing to deserve this kind of treatment. It isn’t fair. And it wouldn’t be right for me to stand idly by. Does that make sense?”

 

“Some people would think you’re crazy.”

 

“Maybe.” Jaebum shrugged. “I’d go crazy not helping though.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“There,” Jaebum said. “You’re done. We’ll re-apply it tomorrow. Take that bandaid off tonight before you sleep to let it breathe.”

 

“I will,” Youngjae replied. “Thank you.”

 

Jaebum looked at him and shook his head. “You don’t deserve this,” he murmured. “How did you turn out the way you are? Why aren’t you angry?”

 

“I… I expect I don’t quite know how to be,” Youngjae said haltingly. “She’s… my mother, I’m not supposed to be angry with her.”

 

“I get angry with my parents sometimes and they’re very good to me,” Jaebum said. “It’s normal to be angry, but I suppose your life has been far from normal.” He ran his hands through his hair. “Well, why don’t you try to get some homework done, then? Schoolwork stops for no one, especially not hybrids. I’ll let you know if my father has any information.”

 

“Thank you,” Youngjae said. 

 

A few hours later, Jaebum’s phone rang, startling him out of his reading. It was his father.

 

“Take pictures of Youngjae’s bruises. We’ll need them as evidence,” his father said. “My lawyer says it’s mostly going to be a matter of insurance—she did damage to your property. I know—” he continued when Jaebum made an outraged noise of disgust. “It’s not the way I want to talk about him either. But it’s the language of the law, and we have to learn to speak it. My lawyer does say if we do this right, she might even get a few years.”

 

“Years?”

 

“In prison.”

 

“Oh. Of course.” Jaebum nodded. “I’ll get the pictures right away. Shall I send them to you?”

 

“That would probably be best,” his father agreed. 

 

Jaebum hurried down to Youngjae’s room and knocked on the door. “Youngjae-ah? Are you busy? May I come in?”

 

“Sure.” Youngjae pulled the door open. 

 

“My dad says we need pictures of your bruising for his lawyer so that we have proof,” Jaebum said. “He says she may get up to a few years in prison if we can prove everything. Are you okay with this? I mean, it is pictures of your body we’re shipping out.”

 

“It’s fine,” Youngjae said, tugging off his shirt as Jaebum steered him to the bathroom where the lights were brighter. 

 

Jaebum took all the pictures he could without making them inappropriate—they were mostly of Youngjae’s back, arms, hands, and face. 

 

“You sure you’re okay with this?” Jaebum asked again before he sent them to his father. “Do you want to look at them and make sure there aren’t any that make you uncomfortable?”

 

“I’m sure,” Youngjae said, shrugging his shirt back on. “I trust you. This will make things better, right?”

 

“I hope so.” Jaebum pocketed his phone and gave Youngjae a gentle hug, careful not to press against his bruises. “Don’t be scared, though—no matter what happens, they can’t take you back there, away from us.”

 

“Good.” Youngjae smiled at Jaebum. “I’m happy here, I think.”

 

“I’m glad to hear that.” Jaebum pulled away and nodded towards Youngjae’s books. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

 

_He’s sweet_ , Jaebum thought as he left the room. _If things were different, I think I would have asked him to join already._

 

* * *

 

“We’re pushing for the trial as soon as we can get it, because we want Youngjae’s bruises as physical evidence. We took the pictures to capture the severity.” 

 

Jaebum sighed and shifted his shoulder against the wall. “Are they taking it?”

 

“Well, you know how people are about hybrids.”

 

“Shit.” Jaebum rubbed his face. “So—what? His mother’s dragging her feet so that there won’t be much evidence left on his body by the time we get there and she’ll be let off free?”

 

“It sounds like it. She’s stalling so that his bruises don’t look so bad. I also think—well, our lawyer also thinks she’ll play it like it was an accident, like it hasn’t happened before. And really, it’s her word against a hybrid’s. Who do you think they’ll believe?”

 

“It’s my word, too!”

 

“You never saw the bruises before now,” his father reminded him calmly.

 

“Dammit!” Jaebum pivoted and kicked an empty recycling bin viciously. “Well, what if they then treat this like an isolated case? What could she get?”

 

“Still some kind of restraining order, a fine, probably, and a hefty one, too.” 

 

“I don’t want her money,” Jaebum grumbled. “I want Youngjae safe.”

 

“And I think we may just have to hope that the restraining order takes care of that.” Jaebum remained silent, fuming. “Jaebum,” his father said in a gentle voice. “I know it’s frustrating. I know you want to protect Youngjae, I know you want that woman to pay for what she’s done. But the world doesn’t think this case is all that important. He didn’t die, you know? I don’t agree, but—well. There’s only so much I can do.”

 

“I know,” Jaebum said, deflating. “I know you’re trying your best, and I’m grateful for it. I just wish—! I just wish it wasn’t like this.”

 

“Me too,” his father said. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. I’ll update you when I can. Keep them calm—nothing will come from panicking.”

 

“I’ll try my best. Thank you.” Jaebum wandered to lunch, feeling rather desolate. 

 

Youngjae had a different lunch that day, as did Jinyoung, so it was Mark and Jackson waiting for him at the table. 

 

“You look upset,” Jackson said bluntly when Jaebum sat down.

 

“I’m just stressed about the trial. We’ve been to court twice in the past month or so. I don’t enjoy it.”

 

“I know.” Mark took one of Jaebum’s hands a rubbed soothing circles into his palm with his thumb. “It’ll be okay, though. You’re smart, you have a good lawyer, and Youngjae’s brave.”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum agreed, trying to push his worries aside. Telling them wasn’t going to help anyone. “Sorry, you guys looked like you were having a happy conversation before I got here. What was it about?”

 

Mark and Jackson burst into cackles.

 

“Nothing,” Jackson replied. “Nothing important.”

 

“Nothing important?” Mark repeated. “You were complaining my ear off.”

 

“We all know I fake-complain.”

 

“What was he fake-complaining about?” Jaebum asked Mark, grinning in spite of himself.

 

Mark waved him closer. “He was wondering when we’d tell Youngjae about our, uh, housing arrangement.”

 

Jaebum rolled his eyes and shook his head, smiling. “You know that’s not our top priority.” _So I’m not the only one thinking about it, even now._

 

“This ass isn’t your top priority?”

 

“Keep it down, we can’t talk about that in public!” Jaebum hissed, only half-serious, as Mark howled with laughter.

 

* * *

 

That night they received another call from Jaebum’s father—the trial was set for the weekend. Jaebum fussed over Youngjae’s bruises in the bathroom after helping him find a suitable outfit for court. As he cleaned up his supplies, he felt Youngjae’s eyes following him.

 

“What?” he asked softly, stopping what he was doing and coming to rest with his hands on his hips a few feet in front of Youngjae.

 

“Jaebum-hyung…” Youngjae trailed off and shook his head. “No, never mind.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I don’t know.” Youngjae blinked up at him, and he looked troubled. “Maybe I’m just worried about the weekend.”

 

“Oh, no.” Jaebum smiled and stepped forward to put his hands on Youngjae’s shoulders. They were the same height, so Jaebum didn’t have to stoop to look Youngjae in the face. “It’ll be okay. Don’t worry.” On impulse, he pressed a gentle kiss to Youngjae’s forehead. /We said we’d wait, stupid,/ he berated himself.

 

“Hyung?” Youngjae started again as he turned away. “Hyung, I think I like you.”

 

Unsure of what Youngjae meant, Jaebum turned back around and gave him a level look, but his heart was racing. “I’m glad,” he said slowly. “I would hope my hybrids would like me.”

 

“No, no, I mean—I mean—” 

 

“What do you mean?” Jaebum asked gently.

 

“I mean—” Youngjae gulped in a breath of air. “I mean I really, really like you—and I don’t know what to do about that.”

 

“Are—are you sure about that?” Jaebum asked hesitantly. “I—it’s just that, given your emotionally fragile state, and given that I seem to be the closest thing you’ve had to any kind of real affection, you may be mistaking normalcy for—” 

 

“I don’t think I am,” Youngjae said softly. “I’ve had friends before. I don’t think this is it.”

 

“But say it is,” Jaebum said. “Say it is, say you don’t like me tomorrow, or when the trial’s over, or next month, or next year—you’ll still be living here with me.”

 

“Is this your way of rejecting me?” Youngjae asked softly. “You can just say so.”

 

“I just don’t want to take advantage of you.” Jaebum sighed. “Listen, Youngjae—now’s not the time I was hoping for but—well, you brought it up. Sort of. Um. Everyone in this house is in a sort of polygamous relationship with one another and you don’t have to join but—I just wanted you to know that before you make any final decisions.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I know. It’s probably kind of scary to you—” 

 

“It’s all consensual?” Youngjae asked.

 

“Well, yes—obviously no one is forcing anything onto anyone. But it’s generally understood that we, uh… share each other.” Jaebum tilted his head. “And—oh god, I’m going to sound like your mother, but you can’t really tell anyone, because it’s not conventional at all… I’m sorry. If that makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to join.”

 

“I can opt out at any time?”

 

“Yes, absolutely. You have my word.”

 

“No one will hurt me?”

 

“No, of course not. No one wants to hurt you.”

 

“Then I’ll join.”

 

“You’re not just joining for me, are you?” Jaebum asked warily.

 

To his surprise, Youngjae gave him an uncharacteristically cheeky smile. “Not just you. Mark’s kinda cute.”

 

Caught off guard, Jaebum let out a disbelieving huff of laughter. “He is,” he conceded.

 

Youngjae nodded, and stepped closer to Jaebum. “I think I like you best, though,” he whispered.

 

“That’s not fair,” Jaebum whispered back. “We’re not allowed to have favorites.”

 

“I think it’s that we’re not allowed to tell everyone else.”

 

“Stop it, you’ll give me an even bigger ego,” Jaebum said, shaking his head and feigning a push at Youngjae.

 

Youngjae only smiled, his eyes turning to little crescents and his mouth wide, and all Jaebum wanted to do was kiss him. But he couldn’t. _We have a trial to focus on. It’s not appropriate. It’s not the right time._

 

“Youngjae, I think it would be best if you didn’t try anything with any of us until the trial is over,” he said as gently as he could. “We need to focus on securing your safety first.”

 

“Okay,” Youngjae murmured, stepping back somewhat reluctantly.

 

Jaebum messed with his hair affectionately. “Go to bed. You need as much sleep as you can get.”

 

“Goodnight, hyung.”

 

* * *

 

The rest of the week passed quietly. Youngjae practiced his defense; Jaebum practiced too, and the entire house felt electric—not in the good way, but in the if you make one wrong step it may or may not go up in flames way. 

 

Youngjae spent most of his time with Jaebum, which was necessary, but Jaebum was finding it increasingly difficult not to stop planning and just kiss Youngjae’s breath away. He tried to keep himself in line by focusing on how angry he was at Youngjae’s mother, how upset he was a the world for letting things get this bad with hybrids, but it only helped a little. 

 

The night before the trial, they were going over notes one more time as the sun set. Both boys were sprawled out on Jaebum’s bedroom floor, lazily flicking through papers and trying to stay on task. They knew what they were doing, so Jaebum wasn’t too worried about the fact that they weren’t too focused.

 

“I can’t do it anymore, all it’s going to do is make me more stressed,” Youngjae finally announced, rolling away from the papers.

 

“Maybe you should get some sleep, then,” Jaebum replied, stretching. “We don’t have to get up super early, but still.”

 

“I like talking to you, though,” Youngjae said, sitting up and rubbing an eye, looking (adorably) disheveled. 

 

“I like talking to you, too,” Jaebum said, “but I don’t think we should be up talking all night.”

 

“That’s not what I meant,” Youngjae said. “It’s like seven in the evening, we have time. Unless you hate me.”

 

“On the contrary.” Jaebum gave him a wry smile. “I like your company.”

 

“Then why are you trying to get me to leave?”

 

“Truthfully?” Jaebum sighed. “I’m worried I won’t be able to keep my hands off you—there, I’ve said it. Now, if we’re not going to work, stop torturing me and get your cute face out of my sight.”

 

“Oh!” Youngjae flushed, but he was smiling.

 

Jaebum gave a light-hearted groan. “I mean it, Youngjae.”

 

“I wouldn’t mind,” Youngjae said softly.

 

“This is not a good time—” 

 

“Why?”

 

“It’s the night before the trial, I don’t think that falls under adequate preparation—” 

 

“It’ll help me get to sleep easier,” Youngjae pointed out, scooting towards Jaebum.

 

“Stop it, stop being cute—” Jaebum knew he was fighting a losing battle.

 

Youngjae crawled into Jaebum’s lap, ducking his head to rest on Jaebum’s collarbone so that his bunny ears tickled Jaebum’s cheek. 

 

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” Jaebum asked quietly.

 

“I have a general idea,” Youngjae whispered back with a slight giggle. “You’ll have to teach me the rest."

 

Jaebum groaned, a real one this time, and bent his neck to kiss Youngjae’s jaw. “You’re too precious for your own good,” he said fiercely, struggling to stand with Youngjae still clinging to his shoulders. “Come on, then. And don’t complain to me if you’re sore tomorrow.”

 

He pushed Youngjae back on the bed and hovered over him, stealing kisses while Youngjae grabbed fistfuls of Jaebum’s shirt until Jaebum finally struggled out of it, Youngjae gave a mumble of appreciation when he saw Jaebum’s bare chest, squirming beneath him.

 

“You’re so not fair,” Jaebum breathed out, pressing ghosts of kisses all along Youngjae’s neck and collar. Impatient, he lifted the hem of Youngjae’s shirt, bunching the fabric up with the collar, and kissed over his fading bruises. Youngjae stilled under his lips, watching with heavy eyes and gently running his fingers through Jaebum’s hair. Youngjae wasn’t muscular, per se, but he was solidly built, and his skin was soft despite all the abuse.

 

“Can I take these off?” Jaebum asked Youngjae, indicating to his pants. Youngjae nodded, biting his lip—though Jaebum thought it was more out of nervousness than anything else. Jaebum tugged Youngjae’s jeans and underwear down, standing to discard them. 

 

Blowjobs, even receiving them, weren’t Jaebum’s favorite activity. He doubted anyone would prefer them to actual sex, but he knew some people who still enjoyed it. That being said, he was so enthralled with Youngjae (as his grandfather might say, /ass over teacups/ for him) that he considered for a long moment pulling Youngjae to the edge of the bed and dropping to his knees. 

 

Ultimately, he didn’t, because he weighed it with the time it would take to prep Youngjae, which was more important. So instead, he crawled back up the bed so that he was beside Youngjae. 

 

“Have you ever done anything like this before?” he asked him softly.

 

Youngjae shook his head. “Will it hurt?”

 

Jaebum smiled. “Only a little bit at first,” he said. “But it shouldn’t after that. You have to let me know if it hurts too much, though, okay?” Youngjae nodded. Jaebum twisted to reach for the lube, and then quickly flipped back to Youngjae. “Are you clean?”

 

“Clean?”

 

“No transmittable infections.”

 

“I… I don’t know.” Youngjae frowned and his eyes turned fearful.

 

Jaebum kissed the crease between his brows. “Not to worry. Condoms have a purpose.”

 

“You have one?” Youngjae asked as Jaebum reached into the drawer once more.

 

Jaebum grinned, holding up the little square packet and flipping it over in his hand before sticking it in his back pocket. “Okay, I need to prep you first, and this is the part that might hurt. You have to let me know if it’s too uncomfortable for you, because I can’t necessarily tell otherwise. Promise?”

 

Youngjae nodded very seriously, his eyes never leaving Jaebum’s face. Jaebum gave him another reassuring kiss, then reached for the lube and spread a small amount over his pinky finger. He used his other hand to spread Youngjae’s ass and carefully worked the finger in. Youngjae stiffened at the contact.

 

“It’ll be easier if you relax,” Jaebum encouraged. “Focus on breathing, and try not to tense up.” Youngjae nodded, and Jaebum felt him loosen around his finger. “Good.” He worked his finger in and out a few times until it slid smoothly, and then switched to his index finger, and then finally added his middle finger.

 

Youngjae was panting softly, and Jaebum stilled his hand. “Are you good?” he asked.

 

“Yes,” Youngjae said, nodding. “It doesn’t hurt.”

 

“Okay.” Jaebum nodded and began moving his fingers again. He curled them with each stroke, pushing a little deeper, trying to find that bundle of nerves—and then Youngjae gasped, arching up and grabbing at the sheets for support.

 

“Good?” Jaebum asked calmly, trying to hide a smile.

 

“What was that?”

 

Jaebum laughed. “Prostate.”

 

“Why there, though?” Youngjae asked thoughtfully.

 

“I have no idea.” Jaebum just shrugged. “Maybe we’re all actually meant to be gay.”

 

This got Youngjae laughing, and Jaebum waited for him to settle before continuing. He added his ring finger, and it took Youngjae a little longer to adjust this time. Jaebum made sure to brush against Youngjae’s prostate every few just so he wasn’t in total discomfort at the tight fit, and soon, Jaebum’s patience paid off. Youngjae was twisting beneath him, breathing out moans and making Jaebum breathless and also incredibly hard. 

 

Satisfied, Jaebum pulled his fingers out and slipped out of his sweats and underwear, making sure to get the condom out of his pocket. He all but scrambled to roll the condom on and spread lube over his cock, because Youngjae was making soft, needy noises, and Jaebum couldn’t deny that for very long.

 

“Are you ready?” Jaebum asked, 

 

Youngjae nodded, reaching out to press his hand against Jaebum’s chest. “Yes.” He smiled that wide-mouthed angelic smile. “You’re beautiful.”

 

“Me?” Jaebum laughed. “Then what can I call you?”

 

Youngjae only blushed, and Jaebum smiled down at him, carefully aligning his dick with Youngjae's ass and then slowly pressing it in. Youngjae opened his mouth in a silent scream, digging his fingers into Jaebum’s biceps. Before Jaebum could ask, he gasped out, “I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt—I just—I just— _fuck—_ ” 

 

Jaebum had to smile, but it quickly turned to a gritting of teeth as he bottomed out and Youngjae clenched around him. Jaebum choked on air at the heat of it, curling over Youngjae and giving him a deep kiss on the lips before slowly dragging himself out and then pushing back in.

 

“Jaebum—oh, _please_ —” Youngjae’s breath came out stutteringly, his eyes screwed shut, his face pink and dewy with a light sheen of sweat. “Go faster, I can do it—” 

 

“ _I_ might not be able to handle it,” Jaebum admitted with a weak smile. “You’re so gorgeous and tight and cute—” he rolled his hips again, “— _shit_ , I don’t know how long I’ll last.”

 

“It’s fine, please just—just _go,_ I really— _ah_!” 

 

Jaebum thrusted in quickly, giving in and letting go. Youngjae moaned loud at long, but low, and the air was filled with both of them, the sound of skin on skin, their breath—

 

Jaebum knew he was getting close, and sped up the pace, too far gone now to care about anything; about the others hearing, about coming too soon—it was Youngjae’s fault for being indisputably attractive and lovely, with his full-body blush and curved cock weeping precome against his stomach, and the little gasps he made when he took a breath between moans.

 

Fumbling, Jaebum lifted a hand to Youngjae’s cock, clumsily jerking him off as he rutted into his ass, eyes closing and entire body clenching as he felt sticky wetness spurt out over his hand. He kept moving through his own orgasm, unable to get enough of Youngjae even when he was completely spent. 

 

Youngjae lay, glowing, it seemed, beneath him, covered in his own come and smiling with his hand over his eyes. Jaebum pulled out and jerkily made his way to the trashcan to dispose of the full condom. He went into the bathroom to get a cleaning cloth, which he ran under warm water, and brought it back to a half-sleeping Youngjae. 

 

He gently swiped away the mess and Youngjae’s eyes fluttered open to watch them. Jaebum handed him his underwear, and went to the closet to find a pair of small sweatpants for him to sleep in, before finding clean clothes for himself and going to turn off the lights.

 

“I can stay?” Youngjae asked softly.

 

“I want you to stay,” Jaebum replied. “Is that okay?”

 

“Mm-hm.” The bunny hybrid sounded content, curling into Jaebum’s body when he climbed onto the bed.

 

“Whatever happens tomorrow, I want you to remember that you are worth my—our—care and time and effort,” Jaebum murmured. He wrapped his arms around Youngjae and kissed the top of his head. “You’ll be okay.”

 

“I know,” Youngjae whispered back sleepily.

 

* * *

 

They rose earlier than Jaebum would have liked the next morning. Breakfast was quiet and Jaebum reminded the others to stay safe and take care while he and Youngjae were in court.

 

“It might take all day,” he told them. “Please call Seoyeon-noona if you need anything.” The others just nodded silently, lining up on the porch to wave them goodbye when the company car came to take them to court.

 

Jaebum’s father greeted them when they arrived and ushered them inside, where they sat behind the lawyer. Youngjae clasped Jaebum’s hand tightly, and Jaebum didn’t know how to comfort him when his own heart felt like a rabbit’s. 

 

The lawyer did most of the talking, introducing the case and the photo evidence of the abuse. Youngjae was called as a witness, but they didn’t question him much. Next was Jaebum. He felt his legs shaking as he took the stand.

 

“What is your name?” 

 

“Im Jaebum.”

 

“What is your connection to this hybrid?”

 

“I bought him from his parents a couple weeks ago.”

 

“On the forms, what were the agreements about visiting?”

 

“There were no such agreements on the form. We agreed verbally that Youngjae could visit his parents when he liked.”

 

“Did you have any knowledge of the alleged abuse prior to this last weekend?”

 

“No.”

 

“You took these photos?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“How soon after the alleged beating did you take them?”

 

“Two days, approximately,” Jaebum said.

 

“And in real life, it was exactly how it looks in these pictures?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Youngjae’s mother’s lawyer was next, but all he asked was just confirmation that the pictures had not been tampered with. He asked if Jaebum thought this was an isolated incident, to which Jaebum replied that Youngjae said it wasn’t, so he didn’t think so.

 

Jaebum stepped down from the stand and returned to Youngjae’s side. Final thoughts were put in from each side, and they waited in bated breath for the judgement.

 

“All in favor of a 6-month sentence, a restraining order against Mrs. Choi, and a fine to be paid to the Ims of twenty-five percent of what the Chois were paid for Youngjae?”

 

Hands flew up, and Jaebum tried desperately to count. It looked like more than half, but he couldn’t be sure.

 

“All those not in favor?” Again, he tried to count, but he was too slow.

 

The judge banged his gavel. “The Jury has voted that Mrs. Choi be restrained from seeing the hybrid Youngjae, that she serve a 6-month sentence in prison, and that she must pay a fine of twenty-five percent of what the Ims paid for the hybrid Youngjae. Dismissed!”

 

The roar of voices that swelled when the judge finished speaking washed over Jaebum. He was numb with relief, and all he could do was hug Youngjae fiercely. Youngjae was sobbing against his chest, and Jaebum forced out words of reassurance. “You’re completely safe now, everything is going to be all right.”

 

The others shouted when they came out, crushing Youngjae in a big group hug in celebration. Over dinner, they made plans for Youngjae to go back to his house and retrieve anything he might be missing, as well as say goodbye to his father. Jaebum arranged it with his father—Youngjae’s mother would be asked to stay away from the house between the hours of ten and noon the next day.

 

That night, Jaebum feel asleep easier than he had in weeks. At last, they would get closure on all of this. Youngjae would be safe, would be able to say goodbye to his father, and would be free from his mother.

 

Though everyone wanted to come with, in the end it was decided that only Jaebum and Youngjae should go, along with security guards from the Im Corp. 

 

The house seemed quiet and still when they pulled up. Though Youngjae trembled, Jaebum saw the brave face he put on as he strode through the door. Jaebum helped him throw things into boxes. While the security helped carry the few boxes to the car, Jaebum stood outside the study door, waiting as Youngjae said his goodbyes to his father.

 

“I might call sometime,” Youngjae said as he opened the door. “I… I know you did what you could. I’m glad for that. I hope you will be happy.”

 

“I hope you will be happy, too,” his father echoed.

 

“Ready to go?” Jaebum asked. Youngjae nodded, and Jaebum took his arm. They walked down to the front porch together. 

 

Jaebum almost expected to see Youngjae’s mother waiting in the driving, angry and yelling, but there was no one—just the car they had come in, now packed with boxes and ready to take them home.

 

As they pulled away, Jaebum saw Youngjae looking over his shoulder and watching the house disappear from view. When they turned the corner, Youngjae faced forward again, took a breath, and then smiled at Jaebum. 

 

“Let’s get bulgogi. I think we should all have something filling to replenish our strength after this week,” he suggested.

 

“That sounds like a great idea,” Jaebum agreed. “I know a good place a few blocks from our house that welcomes hybrids. Let’s pick the others up and go there.”

 

Youngjae nodded, and they spent the rest of the car ride looking at the fresh blooms on the plants. It was a new beginning, and the whole world seemed to be celebrating it right along with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always for reading! Also, for all the kudos and sweet comments, I say this every time but I super don't deserve all you angels.  
> And, of course, please come yell at me on tumblr ([here](www.suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask)). Getting messages and asks always brightens my day~  
> I love you!!


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! This chapter is uh basically just smut with like a tiny bit of plot at the end (so that I can live with myself askdfjds). I filled a couple requests. I can't remember who wanted markjae, but I got that, and I also did some fun Jinyoungjaebum for IsabellaTS6, who had a frankly brilliant idea. I hope it lives up to your expectations~!

_Mark’s POV)_

 

Youngjae warmed to everyone quickly, once he was no longer afraid. He was open and cheerful, and loved helping everyone with housework and homework and anything in between. He smiled wide, laughed often. 

 

Mark liked spending time with him. Sometimes he was a gigantic bundle of energy, but once he calmed down, they could sit quietly, sometimes with Jinyoung, resting their heads and backs against one another and just reading or listening to music. Youngjae’s presence was a comforting one in many ways—he was more cuddly than Jinyoung, for instance. He liked to pet Mark’s hair even if they weren’t holding a conversation, and Mark soon grew used to Youngjae’s warmth by his side each night after dinner as they bumbled their way through compositions.

 

Youngjae often crashed in Mark’s room, too. It wasn’t uncommon for Mark to look up from his reading to find Youngjae curled at his side, sound asleep. They woke up in each other’s arms more than once, and each time Youngjae only laughed and kissed Mark’s cheek.

 

One Saturday morning, they both woke early because they accidentally left the blinds open the night before. The rest of the house seemed to be fast asleep. Mark leaned in for their ritual morning kiss first.

 

“Hi,” Youngjae said softly.

 

“Hi,” Mark breathed back.

 

“I’m not going to go back to sleep.”

 

“Me either.”

 

“Should we make breakfast?”

 

“Mmm, I want to stay here a little longer,” Mark replied, stretching his arms out and pulling Youngjae in. 

 

“Good,” Youngjae said, nuzzling Mark’s chest. “Me too.” He kissed Mark’s neck, working his way up to Mark’s cheekbone, his hands pressing against Mark’s chest. Something about it became more insistent, and Mark realized his heart was racing.

 

“Youngjae,” he murmured. “What are you doing?”

 

“What do you think I’m doing?”

 

“If anyone gives us shit about it, it was all your fault, okay?” Mark warned.

 

“Fine with me.”

 

Mark rolled on top of Youngjae, bending down to steal another kiss or too. Youngjae gave a little squeak, grinning. “Do you normally top?” he asked Mark.

 

“No,” Mark admitted, discarding his shirt and leaning forward to get lube and a condom (they still hadn’t found the time for Youngjae to get tested). “But I feel like with you, I should.”

 

“You’re right,” Youngjae said, stretching and wiggling out of his own shirt at the same time. “I don’t ever want to top.”

 

“Not a problem in this house,” Mark said dryly. bending again to kiss a line down Youngjae’s stomach, making him giggle. “These need to come off,” he added, tapping the underwear.

 

Youngjae twisted his hips, kicking them down to his ankles. Mark grinned, slicking up a finger. “I’m not as athletic as Jaebum,” he said. “I can’t go too fast.”

 

“That’s good, I’m sleepy,” Youngjae encouraged with a smile. 

 

Taking that as a go-ahead, Mark spread Youngjae’s legs and slipped a finger inside, sort of swirling it to help open him up. Youngjae took a deep breath as he adjusted to the intrusion, but he seemed very relaxed. Mark was quickly able to add a second finger, taking his time to search around for Youngjae’s prostate. He knew he brushed it when Youngjae let out a soft, gasp-y whine.

 

“Good?” Mark asked huskily.

 

“Good,” Youngjae responds. “Mm, you’re fingers are so long.” He said it like he was complaining, but Mark knew he wasn’t.

 

So Mark just smirked at him, considering making a dick joke but deciding against it, and added a third finger. He began pumping his fingers in and out of Youngjae a little faster, and soon Youngjae is squirming and panting. _Looks like he’s ready._

 

Mark pulled his fingers out and Youngjae pouted. “Sorry, just one second,” he said sweetly, backing up slightly to give himself enough room to slip his own pants off and roll the condom on his half-hard dick. He stroked himself, spreading some lube as he did so, eyes on Youngjae. 

 

“Ready for me?” he asked softly.

 

“Yes,” Youngjae said.

 

Mark leaned forward, bracing his elbows on either side of Youngjae’s ribs and sinking into Youngjae’s tight hole. He stifled his moans with kisses against Youngjae’s chest. Youngjae fisted a hand through Mark’s hair, tugging hard but Mark didn’t really mind. He continued rolling himself in and out of Youngjae in fluid, lazy movements.

 

He wasn't sure how long it lasted, but it was quiet and warm and soft, with the sunlight filtering in through the open blinds and giving their skin a sweet honey glow. Their kisses were lingering but shallow, and Mark had his eyes closed most of the time. It was a slow, gentle build, and when they both came, it was with stuttering sighs and smiles.

 

They took a quick shower together so they wouldn’t smell so strongly, and headed down to the kitchen. Only Jinyoung was up, and he gave them a look but said nothing. Mark just grinned at him, feeling sated and floaty.

 

“Get that dumb smirk off of your face,” Jinyoung grumbled good-naturedly as he dished out the eggs. “Everyone will be able to tell you two just had sex, not just me.”

 

“You’re just jealous,” Mark replied, sticking out his tongue. “Early bird gets the worm, Jirongie. We were up with the sun.”

 

“Disgusting.”

 

“I know you are, but what am I?”

 

“Mark, I swear to god I’ll throw these eggs right at that smug face of yours, don’t fucking try me!”

 

* * *

 

_(Jinyoung’s POV)_

 

Despite his aggression (or perhaps because of it?), Jinyoung knew that Mark was right, in a way. _Jealous—more like… kind of really horny? Is that fair?_

 

He wasn’t necessarily one to push for sex though. People like Jackson and Youngjae and Bambam—when they wanted it, they made sure they got it. But Jinyoung? Nah. He was chill with waiting it out. He supposed part of his rationale was that the longer you waited, the better it was, but maybe that was him just being a masochist.

 

Either way, he was going to be patient. It usually paid off.

 

He was right. 

 

A few days later, he and Youngjae were hanging out in his room—Youngjae claimed he wanted to watch Jinyoung paint, and Jinyoung didn’t mind. He was working on a series of small landscapes, and he was almost done with his third. Technically, he didn’t have to bring it home, but it was nice working in the comfort of his own room. 

 

Jinyoung sighed and leaned back when it was finished, and then hopped off his chair in the corner and went to his bed to check his phone. Youngjae, who had been sitting behind him to watch, followed.

 

“Is it done?” he asked.

 

“Yeah,” Jinyoung said. “That one is, anyway. I think I might take a break.” He sat down on his bed, putting his phone back, facing Youngjae. “Before I start the next one.”

 

“How long is this break going to be?” Youngjae asked, drawing nearer.

 

“Depends.” Jinyoung gave him an easy smile. “Did you have something in mind?”

 

“Maybe.” Youngjae put his hands over Jinyoung’s knees and leaned forward to give him a kiss on the nose before moving just out of reach.

 

Jinyoung raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

 

“Do you want to?” Youngjae asked, and Jinyoung knew what he meant.

 

“Sure. Come here,” he said, motioning Youngjae closer until he could pull him into his lap. Youngjae slotted his legs between Jinyoung’s so that he was straddling one thigh, and took Jinyoung’s face in his hands, giving him a solid kiss on the lips. Jinyoung wrapped his arms around Youngjae’s back to move him closer.

 

Youngjae began rolling his hips and Jinyoung indulged him, bouncing his leg in time to give Youngjae more friction. Youngjae took fistfuls of Jinyoung’s shirt to steady himself and kept going, riding Jinyoung’s thigh and letting out little moans. 

 

Jinyoung ran a hand through Youngjae’s hair. “What do you want?” he asked softly.

 

“Fuck me?” Youngjae asked.

 

Jinyoung’s dick twitched at the request. He considered that perhaps Youngjae was like this because he was a bunny hybrid (did one’s animal have anything to do with how they acted? He honestly wasn’t sure, but if it were true, this would make sense). 

 

“I don’t know if I’ll be back to stop myself once I start,” he warned, stretching up to kiss Youngjae’s neck. The boy was panting, movements unfaltering. “But if you need something to stop, you have to tell me. Say it’s making you uncomfortable or scared, I’ll stop. Do you understand?”

 

“Yes,” Youngjae whispered. 

 

“Up,” Jinyoung said. “Pants off. Shirt too.”

 

Youngjae obeyed (a little reluctantly, perhaps, but Jinyoung was forgiving). JInyoung got rid of his own top, and, too lazy to do anything with his jeans, simply reached down and unzipped his fly. He then reached into his bedside table’s drawer for lube and a condom. Youngjae approached him, and frankly Jinyoung didn’t think he was nervous enough. _It’s fine,_ Jinyoung thought. _I’ll give him plenty of chances to opt out._

 

“Turn around,” Jinyoung said softly, covering one finger in lube. “Bend over.”

 

Youngjae looked confused, but did as he was told. Jinyoung spread his cheeks and slipped the finger inside. The rabbit hybrid gave a gasp of surprise.

 

“Is this fine?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You’re loose,” Jinyoung noted.

 

“I… this afternoon, I—” 

 

“But you didn’t come?”

 

Youngjae shook his head. “Not enough time. I didn’t want to miss dinner."

 

“Don’t worry,” Jinyoung said soothingly (not that Youngjae needed soothing), adding a second finger. “That won’t be a problem now.” Jinyoung wrapped an arm around Youngjae’s waist, half turning him and pulling him closer. He pumped his fingers in and out of Youngjae’s ass—since he was already loose, Jinyoung didn’t have to be as careful. He changed the angle until Youngjae convulsed in his arms, and then sank his fingers back in and pressed against Youngjae’s prostate and held them there.

 

“Jinyoung,” Youngjae choked out, body taut. “I want to last, please—” 

 

_You won’t_ , Jinyoung thought, but he removed his fingers and lubed up a third, pushing them back it. It was a bit of a stretch, but nothing Youngjae couldn’t handle.

 

“How you are doing?” he asked as he removed his fingers, wiping the excess lube on his t-shirt, which he had discarded on the bed, before picking up the condom and tearing it open.

 

“Good,” Youngjae murmured. 

 

“Still up for this?” Jinyoung asked, rolled the condom on and squeezing some lube out onto his palm to spread over his dick.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Great. Turn and face me. I’m going to see if I can’t lift you.” It was going to be kind of strenuous, but Jinyoung knew he wouldn’t have to hold him for long—he had a plan. Youngjae stared at him, but Jinyoung gripped the backs of his thighs firmly, spreading his leg and working himself inside Youngjae’s hole. Youngjae pitched forward against Jinyoung’s chest, wrapping his arms behind Jinyoung’s neck. He gave a little hop, and Jinyoung lifted him. “Lock your ankles behind my back, around my waist. It’ll help you stay up.” Youngjae did as he was told, and Jinyoung pulled out haphazardly, shifting his hips so the angle would be better, and pushed back in. 

 

Jinyoung grabbed Youngjae’s sides so that he could move him up and down more easily, and bounced him a few times. Youngjae wailed when Jinyoung hit his prostate again, clinging to him tighter. Jinyoung knew the fabric was rough against Youngjae’s ass, but he had a feeling that Youngjae liked it—liked that he was completely naked and vulnerable while Jinyoung was still mostly clothed.

 

“Youngjae,” Jinyoung practically cooed, smiling to himself at the amount of precome leaking from the red tip of Youngjae’s cock. “I have an idea. What if we go find Jaebummie? Do you think he’d want to join?” Youngjae groaned and dropped his forehead against Jinyoung’s shoulder, nodding. “Is that a yes? Let’s go see if he’s in his room, then.”

 

Youngjae stared at him.

 

“Yes, like this. Don’t worry, no one will see. Mark and Jackson and Yugyeom are out for a jog, and Bambam told no one to disturb him because he’s starting to work through his application.” Jinyoung took a few steps towards the door; at each movement, he inadvertently repositioned himself inside Youngjae. Youngjae whimpered at each movement, trying to grind down on Jinyoung for more. “Besides, if they do see us, what can they do? It’s not like it’s a secret. Shall we?” He had reached the door.

 

Youngjae nodded again, looking fucked out already and just gone, fumbling behind him to get the door. 

 

Jinyoung shifted his hands to Youngjae’s ass to better support him (that was his excuse, anyway) and made his way slowly up the stairs, trusting his thighs not to fail him. Youngjae was whining and moaning and trying to make the most out of each step by giving little thrusts to increase movement. Jinyoung chuckled at him.

 

“Want more, darling?” They reached the top and Jinyoung turned sharply and pressed Youngjae against the wall of the hallway, beside Jaebum’s door. He snapped his hips up, going quickly and releasing one of Youngjae’s legs to jerk him off. Youngjae sobbed, clutching Jinyoung’s shoulders, his nails digging in and leaving marks. Jinyoung lunged forward, kissing any place he could reach, sucking a bruise into Youngjae’s collarbone. “You gonna come?”

 

“Yes, yes! _Ahhh, fuck,_ please yes!” Youngjae’s words were slurred and Jinyoung got the distinct impression that he had no idea what he was saying. Jinyoung worked him harder and a few seconds later, Youngjae opened his mouth in a silent scream, coming in spurts against his stomach and Jinyoung’s. Jinyoung stilled inside him, taking a breath to retain control before pulling out, not bothering to tuck himself back into his pants. He couldn’t let go yet, he still had Jaebum to work on. 

 

“Think you have another round in you?” Jinyoung asked Youngjae softly. Youngjae looked up at him with unfocused eyes. “Youngjae.”

 

“I can do it,” he breathed out. “For you and Jaebum.”

 

“That’s exactly what I want to hear.” Jinyoung collected the few streaks of come off his own stomach and wiped his finger against Youngjae’s. Youngjae didn’t even complain, just watched with glazed eyes, giving a soft moan at the sight. “That was all yours,” Jinyoung added lowly. withdrawing his touch. “Shall we show Jaebum?”

 

Youngjae nodded, and Jinyoung knocked on Jaebum’s door.

 

“Come in,” Jaebum called from inside. 

 

_He has no idea what’s about to hit him,_ Jinyoung thought as he pushed the door open, surprising a giggle. Youngjae clung to his side, unable to walk stably on his own quite yet. 

 

“Oh my god,” Jaebum breathed, turning away from the window to observe them with raised eyebrows. “What’s this?”

 

“Well, we were going to ask you to join, but Youngjae couldn’t stop himself,” Jinyoung said calmly, shutting the door behind him. “He says he can go another round, though.”

 

“Why are you…?”

 

“The idea occurred to me when I was already fucking him,” Jinyoung said blatantly. “It didn’t seem fitting to put him down, so I just continued on the way up.”

 

“Jesus,” Jaebum breathed, his pupils dilating. He moved towards them but Jinyoung put up a hand.

 

“Not yet. You sit, watch. You can touch when I say.”

 

At a loss, Jaebum did just that, sitting down on the bed, his hungry eyes never leaving Youngjae and Jinyoung.

 

“Ready to show Jaebum what you can do?” Jinyoung murmured to Youngjae. Youngjae nodded. To Jaebum, as he kicked off his pants and underwear and lined himself up with Youngjae’s hole, he added, “You’ve probably only been really gentle with him, is that right?” He shoved himself in, kneeling and forcing Youngjae down onto his hands and knees. “But Youngjae’s really good at taking cock, isn’t that right?” Youngjae only moaned. “He’s very good.” Jinyoung thrust in and out roughly, setting an uneven pace. He watched Jaebum as the elder began palming his pants. “He’ll take whatever you give him.”

 

Jinyoung set an even more brutal pace, ramming into Youngjae, skin slapping harshly against skin. Youngjae’s ass was already red from irritation from Jinyoung’s jeans, and soon it was a nice, deep scarlet. Youngjae hung his head limply, barely holding himself up as Jinyoung continued to fuck him, fast and rough. 

 

Jaebum looked desperate. He’d shed his sweatpants and his dick was hard and leaking. His gaze was dark and hooded, and his chest was heaving as he watched.

 

As fun as it was to torture Jaebum, Jinyoung knew he wouldn’t be able to last much longer. “Jaebum, come here,” he finally said.

 

Jaebum slipped off the bed and staggered to them, falling to his knees to press kisses to the nape of Youngjae’s neck and to Jinyoung’s temple.

 

“My pretty boys,” he mumbled, hands trembling. “God, you’re so pretty.”

 

“Get the lube, prep me,” Jinyoung panted, moving more on top of Youngjae so that his own hole was more accessible. Jaebum stumbled to his feet, running over to get the bottle of lube from his drawer, and coming back with his fingers covered.

 

Jinyoung slowed, dragging each stroke out and making it easier for Jaebum to get a finger into his ass. He clenched around it involuntarily, stilling for a moment and then picking up the pace again. It was more difficult in this position, with his legs caging Youngjae’s, and a limited range of movement. 

 

Jaebum added a second finger, scissoring them to open Jinyoung up more before adding a third. Once all three were moving easily, he pulled them out to prepare his cock. Using this opportunity, Jinyoung pulled out and flipped Youngjae over.

 

“I want you to see both of us when you come,” he said to Youngjae. Youngjae’s face was flushed, streaked with tears and sweat and even a couple flecks of come. Jinyoung was delighted to see that his dick was once again hard and wanting—and then Jaebum pushed into him and he couldn’t see anymore. He groaned and let himself go, rutting into Youngjae.

 

“Fuck, fuck _fuck fuck fuck!_ ” he heard himself saying. Youngjae seemed to be beyond words, and Jaebum was practically growling in his ear. 

 

“You got such a hold over me, baby,” Jaebum rasped, his chest pressed up against Jinyoung’s back. “ _Shit_ , you feel good. You’re incredible—ah, _fuck_!”

 

Jinyoung smiled in spite of himself. “You gonna come, Jaebummie?” 

 

To his surprise and delight, Jaebum let out another moan, ceasing movement, buried deep in Jinyoung. He felt Jaebum’s dick pulsing, filling his ass with come, and suddenly he couldn’t stop himself. His hips moved almost of their own volition, slamming into Youngjae and making the younger cry out. He wrapped a hand around Youngjae’s dick and tried to time his pulls with his thrusts, but it was hard because he was quickly spiraling out of control, especially with the noises Jaebum was making behind him since he hadn’t pulled out and Jinyoung was moving around him again—

 

Jinyoung wasn’t sure if he or Youngjae came first, but when he opened his eyes they were both covered in come. He saw his own trickling out of Youngjae’s ass, some smeared against the cheeks and knew he looked the same. Jaebum was holding both of them, pressing tender kisses to their foreheads.

 

“You’re perfect,” he was saying. “You know? Perfect.”

 

Jinyoung felt his face break out into a wide, tired smile.

 

* * *

 

_(Jaebum’s POV)_

 

Later that evening, after the three of them had somewhat recovered, Jaebum received a call from Mr. Park.

 

“Hello?”

 

“I had a thought,” Mr. Park began, not even stopping to greet him. “I know your hybrids might be wondering what they’ll do after college, and while I know that you’re more than capable of providing for them, I also know that they probably won’t want to rely entirely on you, for moral reasons.”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum said slowly, wondering where the hell this was going.

 

“What if you came to model for me?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“You know, how I was going to have you and Jinyoung model when you were younger. But all seven. We can write up official contracts, give you a group name, a concept—the hybrids will make equal to what you make.”

 

“W-what about 2PM?”

 

“They’re lonely.” Mr. Park’s voice grew quiet. “And I can’t use them for every single ad. I don’t want to overwork them. I think having more hybrid friends would be good for them, and you seven would bring something different to the table—because you’re not a hybrid, Jaebum.”

 

“Remember how that worked out last time?’ Jaebum asked carefully.

 

“You’re not Jay.” 

 

“Yes, but still—I want to discuss it with the others before agreeing.”

 

“Oh, of course, of course. You don’t have to decide now. As I said, just a thought. Let me know, though, if you’re interested.” Mr. Park was all business again. “We’ll put something together. Sound good?”

 

“Uh, okay. Thank you.”

 

“Sure thing. Thank _you_. Have a great day.”

 

Jaebum stared at his phone, thinking late into the night. _Could we..?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! Please drop me a comment here and come be friends with me on [tumblr!](https://www.suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask) I love having interactions on there ^^ plus, it's easier to request things because I can keep track of them better on there (I'm starting oneshot series; for more info, go [here](http://suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/post/159429482324/i-think-its-time)!)
> 
> A note: I don't know if you noticed, but this fic is now labled as "x chapters/31"!! And that's not a mistake, we're really drawing to a close here! I finally solidified my outline and felt comfortable publishing the number of chapters remaining. It's really crazy, it's been like a year and a half since I started writing this garbage heap, and it's grown so well. Honestly, if it weren't for all of you, I would have stopped writing it ages and ages ago. So, thank you!!!
> 
> If you want a complete turnaround/you just really love angst ((((like me)))), please check out my exo subaek fic [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7033417)! It's a lot better written than this fic, though I will say that it's pretty heavy, so read the tags and warnings before you just dive in!


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hohohohohahahaha im a horrible author sorry. Again........smut really gets the better of me and it takes idk a year?? for me to write one sentence??? But I did do the Markbambum for AkimotoNiii! I hope it's what you wanted~ anyway here it be!!

“Hey guys,” Jaebum said the next morning. “Listen, I got an interesting call from Mr. Park last night.”

 

“More on Jay?” Mark asked.

 

“No, actually. He… he offered us all jobs. As… as models.”

 

“I don’t know,” Mark said immediately. “I mean, especially after Jay…”

 

“That’s what I was thinking,” Jaebum agreed.

 

“Why don’t we go and meet him, at least?” Jinyoung suggested. “I mean, obviously the same thing isn’t going to happen because Jaebum is not a psychopath.”

 

“I think what they mean is that it might make us an even bigger target to Jay,” Jackson pointed out.

 

“Yes,” Jaebum affirmed. “I just wonder if it’s too bold a move. And he mentioned 2PM… but I really don’t know what’ll they’ll make of us.”

 

“They seemed nice when we talked to them at the party,” Mark said. “But that was before all this Jay nonsense.”

 

“I agree with Jinyoung,” Bambam said. “I think we should at least go meet with him, and then decide later.”

 

“It’s not like Jay can do anything about us,” Yugyeom added. “I think we should meet them and then decide.”

 

“I’m up for it,” Youngjae chipped in.

 

“I suppose I’m just worrying over nothing,” Mark said. “A meeting can’t hurt.”

 

“All right, if you guys are comfortable with it, then I guess I am, too,” Jaebum said. “We meet. I’ll let him know.”

 

After the dishes were done, Jaebum went up to his study to give Mr. Park a call.

 

“Good morning, Mr. Park,” he said when he picked up. “We aren’t sure about the whole modeling thing, but we would love to meet and find out more.”

 

“That’s fine with me,” Mr. Park replied. “How about next Saturday at 10?”

 

“Perfect,” Jaebum agreed. “I was thinking… do you think it might be a good idea for us to meet the 2PM boys?”

 

“Yes. They can tell you guys what it’s like.” Jaebum thought he heard a smile in Mr. Park’s voice. “I’m sure they’ll be very excited.”

 

“Okay. I’ll see you then.”

 

Jaebum sat at his desk for a while, thinking. Modeling would be really fun, but he was worried about the media backlash. People said all sorts of things about JYP Formal Wear as it was, but given this recent scandal, it might get particularly cruel. He knew he could handle it, but he didn’t want to subject his hybrids to any more trauma.

 

And yet… having more hybrid friends would be good for them. And being able to make their own money would give them a sense of responsibility and freedom. Granted the opportunity was due to the fact that Jaebum owned them, but it would give them their own spending money at the very least. And it was a relatively safe work environment, which is more than a lot of hybrids would be given. And it would probably be fun, and they might even be able to do something with it.

 

The week passed slowly. Jaebum went between apprehension and excitement. He wanted to get to know 2PM, though he wasn’t sure if they were going to trust him, considering their experience with Jay. He supposed his hybrids would vouch for him. 

 

Would they get a group name, too? And what would it be? He knew originally Mr. Park was going to use his and Jinyoung’s initials, but he doubted that would work with the seven of them. 

 

The morning of the meeting, the house was in a flurry. “We have to look really fashionable,” Bambam insisted. “They’re models.”

 

“I don’t think they’ll care,” Mark said dubiously, but he changed jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather jacket anyway. 

 

Jaebum decided on distressed black jeans and a simple long sleeve white shirt, figuring the simpler and less intimidating he looked, the better. A big company car came to pick them up. Jaebum sat shotgun so that the others wouldn’t have to, which also gave him control over the radio. He had fun randomly switching to country stations whenever he felt like being petty. 

 

They fought their way through downtown traffic (“Okay, but _why_ is there traffic on a Saturday morning?” Yugyeom asked. “Maybe everyone else has ten o’clock meetings, too,” Youngjae shot back. “You don’t know their lives.”) and finally arrived at JYP Formal Wear. The mood went a little more quiet as they pulled into the garage. They were escorted upstairs, where they found Mr. Park waiting in the lobby.

 

“I’m so glad we could meet,” he said as soon as they stepped out of the elevator. “Please, come in. The other boys are inside.”

 

The seven of them followed Mr. Park down the hall and into a big room where 2PM was already seated. 

 

“Hi!” Some kind of cat hybrid (Jaebum wanted to guess tiger, which meant it was Taecyeon) waved at them. “Oh, I recognize you two.”

 

Jaebum turned to see that he was pointing at Mark and Jinyoung. 

 

“We met on the night of the party,” Mark reminded him. 

 

“I really can’t believe Jay was at the party and he didn’t even bother us,” a sweet-faced dog hybrid (golden retriever, so Jaebum assumed it was Nickhun) spoke up.

 

“I think he knew we were too well-protected,” the rabbit hybrid, Wooyoung, said. “Sorry, we don’t really need to be talking about that. It’s unpleasant.”

 

Mr. Park was smiling. “Why don’t I let you guys get to know each other a little bit? You can ask the 2PM boys some questions, and I’ll come back after a while to see if you need anything.”

 

“Okay!”

 

As sooon as Mr. Park was gone, Jackson turned to Nickhun. “Hi, I’m Jackson and you’re Nickhun, right?”

 

“Yes,” Nickhun said, giving him a bemused look.

 

“Sorry, I did a little research.” Jackson smiled. “You’re half-Chinese, right?” When Nickhun nodded, he continued. “And half-Thai? Bambam’s Thai, and Mark and I are Chinese.”

 

“Ooh,” Nickhun said. “We can have secret conversations. Especially me and Bambam.”

 

Bambam gave him a wide smile, mischief sparking in his eyes. “It’s been ages since I’ve had someone to speak with.”

 

“So,” another cat hybrid, Junho, said. “Modeling, huh?”

 

“Yeah,” Youngjae said. “He offered for us to be models. What’s it like?”

 

“Busy,” Jun.K, the horse hybrid, answered. “Shoot days are a full schedule. You have to get up early to do hair and makeup, and then they have to do last-minute fittings. And then, they take about a half a million pictures, only a tiny fraction of which will end up in the magazines and on billboards. So you’re posing all day, basically. But it’s also fun, and rewarding. As a hybrid, it’s really nice to have a safe job that pays well. I have no doubt Jaebum-hoobae (?) takes good care of you, but it’s still nice to know that you’re providing for yourself.”

 

“You said you have really good protection, right?” Yugyeom asked.

 

“If you’re worried about Jay,” Wooyoung said, “he’s not going to be bothering any of us anytime soon. If you’re worried about media backlash, well—there’s not much they can do. I’m assuming there’ll be an initial fuss about trying the six-hybrids-one-normal thing again, but I’m guessing Jaebum isn’t crazy like Jay was, so it should die down and then you’ll probably be fine.”

 

“We could use the company,” Nickhun added cutely. “I’m not trying to pressure you into it, of course! But we wouldn’t mind having you around. And that way we could get more rest.”

 

“Do you ever do the runway?” Bambam asked.

 

“We have a couple times,” Taecyeon told him. “It’s a little dangerous to do, because obviously there are still people out there that don’t approve of hybrids having jobs. But more and more it’s at least becoming acceptable for hybrids to be in the modeling business, because those that think hybrids are inferior just see it as dressing up something that can walk so that people can see how the clothing will fall on a body when it moves.”

 

“We work with Minseung sometimes,” a hummingbird hybrid, Chansung, spoke up. “It would be kind of cute if she and Jaebum did a shoot together.”

 

“Ah, I forgot about that. Working with Minnie-noona would be really fun,” Jinyoung said.

 

“It sounds like you’re decided,” Junho said slyly. 

 

“Are we?” Jaebum looked around and saw sideways glances and lots of nodding. “Maybe we should ask my parents first.”

 

“You’ll probably have to come back a different day to work out contracts and things,” Jun.K said. “So you do have time to decide and work things out if need be.”

 

“Let’s discuss when we get home,” Jinyoung said. 

 

“Stay for lunch,” Nickhun said. “Even if you don’t end up modeling, I think we should be friends.”

 

Mr. Park stuck his head in. “I just heard Nickhun saying you should stay for lunch, and I agree. Come on, the cafeteria is serving kimchi fried rice today.”

 

“There’s a cafeteria here?” Mark stared at him.

 

“Yeah, it’s an office, technically,” Chansung said, looking more animated. “The food is _amazing_. And they serve all kinds of food, too.”

 

“I’m sold,” Youngjae declared. “I want to work here for the food.”

 

“Youngjae,” Jaebum admonished, laughing. “You can think it, but you can’t say that out loud with your mouth!”

 

Everyone laughed too as they got to their feet, and Jaebum looked around as they filed out the door. _This could be good_ , he thought to himself. _This could be really, really good._

 

* * *

 

When they got home, they convened at the kitchen table. 

 

“Okay,” Jaebum said, pulling out a sheet of paper. “Let’s write a pros and cons list.”

 

“Pro: food,” Youngjae said immediately. The kimchi fried rice had been amazing (though Jackson may or may not have cried a little because it was spicy). 

 

“Pro: Mr. Park and 2PM are really nice,” Yugyeom said.

 

“Con: we might get fucking reeled by the media,” Jinyoung said.

 

“Con: less privacy,” Mark added.

 

“Pro: really, really good security,” Bambam said, almost as a counter.

 

“Pro: we can make our own money and won’t be totally reliant on Jaebum,” Jackson said.

 

“Pro: clothes,” Bambam said. 

 

They were quiet for a moment.

 

“Mark and Jinyoung, are you entirely averse to the idea?” Jaebum finally asked.

 

“No, not at all,” Jinyoung said. “I just figured we should consider some cons.”

 

“Me too,” Mark agreed. “I like the 2PM boys, and if they can be happy and content after all that’s happened to them, I’m guessing it’s a good job.” He grinned. “And Youngjae’s right, the food is killer. No offense to Jinyoung and Jaebum’s cooking—I mean, the JYP cafeteria has professional chefs.”

 

“I guess that means yes, then,” Jaebum said, looking down at the paper. “I’ll call Mr. Park tonight to set a date for contract discussions and things. For now, let’s all do some homework so we don’t all die tomorrow night.”

 

”Who needs homework when you’re gonna be a model?” Bambam joked.

 

“First of all, you don’t even have any,” Jinyoung replied. “And second of all, what happens when you get old and ugly?”

 

“Hopefully by then I’ll have amassed enough of a fortune to retire,” was Bambam’s prim response.

 

Jinyoung just rolled his eyes and shook his head and left the kitchen. Jaebum watched the others as they left, and took Mark’s hand when the kitties was empty and he was about to leave, too.

 

“Hey,” he said softly. “You don’t have to do it if you’re afraid.”

 

“I’m not,” Mark said evenly. “I’m okay, Jaebum, really. It sounds fun! And we’ll all get to spend time together and do productive things all at once.”

 

“If you’re sure,” Jaebum said, pulling him close. “I just don’t want you to feel unsafe.”

 

“Jay can’t hurt me,” Mark said bravely. “He can’t hurt any of us.”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum agreed.

 

“Anyway.” Mark rolled his eyes dramatically. “That’s not why I stayed behind. Do you have a whole lot of homework to do?”

 

“Not a _whole_ lot,” Jaebum replied. “Why?”

 

“Got enough time for me?” Mark asked, grinning coyly.

 

Jaebum smirked at him. “Of course I do.”

 

“My room or yours?”

 

“Mine,” Jaebum decided, holding out his hand for Mark to take. “C’mon.”

 

Mark giggled and took his hand, letting Jaebum tug him up the stairs and down the hall. Once they were in Jaebum’s room, Mark crowded Jaebum, putting his face right up in Jaebum’s, hands draped over his shoulders. Jaebum grabbed his waist.

 

“It’s so good to see you happy,” Jaebum said softly. “God, you deserve it. You all do.”

 

Mark kissed Jaebum’s nose quickly, “Of course I’m happy. I have you.”

 

Jaebum smiled back, kissing Mark on the lips and tugging him closer. “You’re sure about this modeling thing?”

 

“Jaebum, oh my god. Are you jealous? Do you not want the whole world to see how hot I am?” Mark twirled away and struck a ridiculous pose, and then flopped onto the bed. 

 

“On the contrary,” Jaebum said. “I want them to know, but I want them to also know they’ll never have you.”

 

“What are you gonna do when we get loads of fangirls?”

 

“I dunno,” Jaebum said with a shrug, readjusting Mark so that he was closer to the headboard. “Be proud and a little worried, I guess.”

 

Mark grinned and raised himself up a little to give Jaebum another kiss. “Get the lube or we’re gonna run out of time.”

 

“Is that your idea of seduction?” Jaebum asked, but he got the lube anyway. When he turned back he found Mark trying to kick his shorts off, only they were stuck around one ankle. He laughed. “Let me help you.”

 

Mark let him untangle his shorts for him with an embarrassed grin on his face. Jaebum crawled up to him, kissing his cheeks until he was giggling. He sat back so that Mark could tug off his tank and so that he could do the same. Jaebum pressed Mark back into the mattress, putting his lips against the cat hybrid’s throat, enough to leave little pink marks but not enough that they wouldn’t fade in an hour. Mark purred softly and Jaebum shivered, smiling against Mark’s skin.

 

“C’mon,” Mark murmured, wiggling his hips. “Jaebum…”

 

“All right,” Jaebum relented, pushing himself off the bed to rid himself of his sweats and underwear before taking off Mark’s boxers as well. He spread Mark’s legs and smoothed a dollop of lube over his finger. “Ready?”

 

“Mm-hmm.”

 

“Okay.” Jaebum eased his finger in. Mark opened more easily for him now, and it wasn’t long before he had two, and then three fingers working in and out of him. Mark started with high, breathy moans, but as he adjusted he just went back to purring—which Jaebum didn’t mind at all.

 

And then there was a knock on the door.

 

“Fuck, shit!” Jaebum scrambled, yanking his fingers out and covering Mark with the comforter, quickly wrapping a robe around himself. “Uh, who is it?”

 

“Bambam. Are you busy?”

 

“Kind of?” Jaebum glanced at Mark, who was cracking up silently, his face bright red.

 

“Can I come in?”

 

“I guess?”

 

Bambam pushed the door open and stopped short. “Oh, I’m late,” he said, giving Jaebum a sheepish look. “I just wanted… well, never mind. I’ll just—” 

 

“No,” Mark spoke up. “Join us.”

 

“S-sure,” Jaebum added, surprised but not displeased.

 

“Oh.” Bambam shut the door behind him. “Okay.”

 

Mark threw off the comforter, uncaring about nudity, and went over to Bambam, kissing his forehead when he got close enough. “You’re cute,” Jaebum heard him whisper. He dragged Bambam back to the bed, gently tugging his shirt off and undoing his belt as well. Bambam struggled out of his skinny jeans, taking his underwear with him. Jaebum hadn’t noticed, but he realized there had been a slight tent in Bambam’s pants, and that Bambam was already semi-hard.

 

“Can I bottom?” Bambam asked.

 

“Mm,” Mark agreed. “Let’s get you prepped. Jaebum, lube.”

 

Jaebum handed it to him, slowly letting his robe drop to the floor. Mark positioned Bambam the way he had just been, and got on his hands and knees on top of him. Jaebum wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself, so he wandered closer, behind Mark, and just admired the view, occasionally reaching out to trace the line of his back or the curve of his ass. 

 

Bambam was mewling and groaning in a few minutes’ time, and Mark had picked up purring. Jaebum took that as his cue to make sure Mark was still loose. He used a little extra lube just in case, but it wasn’t necessary. Mark did clench around him, though, his purring breaking up in surprise at the intrusion.

 

“Ready?” Jaebum asked again. 

 

“Yes,” Bambam and Mark said in unison, both already breathless. 

 

Jaebum spread some lube over his cock and then handed the bottle to Mark so that he could do the same. He waited until Mark was lined up against Bambam’s hole before pushing in. Mark gasped, pressing a hand against Bambam’s chest and causing him to sink down into the mattress.

 

Mark clenched around Jaebum immediately; his entire body was taut and a pretty flush was spreading down his chest and torso. Jaebum forced himself to stay still until Mark relaxed in order not to hurt him. He ghosted his fingertips up and down Mark’s spine, watching him bottom out inside Bambam. The youngest was already gone. He was gasping and he had his eyes screwed shut, his lips moving soundlessly.

 

“Relax for me,” Jaebum murmured to Mark. Mark gave a shuddering moan and Jaebum felt him loosen around him. “There you go.” He bent to kiss Mark’s back before slowly dragging himself out and then pushing back in again. Mark did the same with Bambam, and soon, they set up an even pace. 

 

The sun began to set, and it gave the room a pretty orange glow. In the dimming light, the sweat on Mark’s back and Bambam’s chest seemed to glow. Jaebum looked down at his two beautiful boys and even in the heat of it all, felt his heart swell. When he met Mark, he couldn’t look him in the eye. Bambam had been so bruised and beaten he was almost unrecognizable. And now they were both healthy and flushed and happy and safe, here, beneath him. They were breathing and able to enjoy things without having to pay a price, without having to wonder if they deserved them.

 

Bambam had wrapped his arms around Mark’s neck; he curled up and kissed him clumsily, gasping out pleas and curs uses in between breaths. Jaebum gripped Mark’s hips, hard, feeling the familiar heat and coil in his abdomen and his toes. Mark was making desperate noises against Bambam’s mouth, losing his rhythm and rutting into Bambam. He tightened around Jaebum as he came, giving choked groans, reaching underneath him to jerk Bambam off. Jaebum closed his eyes as the burning feeling swept over him in full. Distantly, he heard Bambam crying out, but he barely registered it over the feeling of his own release.

 

Somehow, Jaebum managed to stay upright long enough to stumble to his closest for some clean towels before collapsing next to the other two on the bed. The three of them lazily wiped themselves down, taking time to catch their breath before going to the bathroom to get clean in earnest. Jaebum watched fondly as Mark tickled Bambam until he was a wheezing, giggling mess on the tile floor. 

 

“C’mon, nerds, let’s get dinner,” he finally said, tossing their clothes at them before getting dressed himself.

 

Together, they headed back downstairs. Jinyoung raised his eyebrows at them when they entered the kitchen, and then gestured to the slices of watermelon on the table. 

 

“Nourishing and hydrating,” he said impassively, sneaking a knowing smirk at Jaebum when the other two weren’t looking. “Shall I call the others to dinner? It’s like, done.”

 

“I’ll do it,” Bambam offered, scampering off down the hall with a slice of watermelon in each hands.

 

“You told me I’d be okay,” Mark said softly in Jaebum’s ear. “You were right. I _am_ going to be okay. this is okay. This is more than okay. Thank you.”

 

“You don’t have to thank me,” Jaebum murmured back. “You should be proud of yourself.”

 

Mark just hummed, smiling, and offered him a bite of watermelon.

 

_This is more than okay. This is good._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!! Check me out on my [Tumblr](http://www.suhos-lotto.tumblr.com/ask). comment n tell me what you think~
> 
> If you requested something, it is either forthcoming or has been moved to my list for the oneshot series that I will be starting once this fic is complete, so have no fear! please feel free to continue requesting; thank you to those of you who have ^^


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO WOW I AM SO SORRY I have no eggcuse I'm just uhhhhhhhhh how to say fuckin dumb I guess. thank you all for being sososososo patient I'll try to have the next (and final!!!!) chapter up soon after. I have some notes and things at the end but for now, enjoy the chapter!!

Jaebum called Mr. Park the next morning on the way to school.

 

“I think we’re going to go for it,” he told him. “Everyone seems really excited.”

 

“I’m so glad!" There was a familiar lively note in Mr. Park’s voice. “Why don’t you come by tomorrow afternoon, after classes are over, and we can write up contracts and start laying out concepts?”

 

“Sounds great,” Jaebum agreed. “Thank you for this opportunity.”

 

“Of course. I’m sure you guys will be very popular, and I know the other boys are going to be over the moon when I tell them.”

 

Jaebum smiled a little, remembering the excitement of 2PM when they met. “I’m glad they’re supportive. Thanks again. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Sure thing.”

 

“What time, what time?” Jackson asked as soon as he hung up.

 

“Tomorrow, after classes,” Jaebum replied. “We’ll go in and figure out contracts and things.”

 

“Will 2PM be there?” Youngjae asked.

 

“I don’t know, probably.” Jaebum couldn’t help grinning at them. “I’m kind of excited.”

 

“I’m really excited!” Jackson whooped, throwing one arm over Jinyoung’s shoulders and another over Mark’s. 

 

“Jaebum?” Youngjae took his arm. “Things won’t have to change too much, will they?”

 

“I don’t know,” Jaebum replied. “We’ll be famous.”

 

“Yes,” Youngjae agreed. “We’ll have…. what is it? Fangirls.”

 

“And fanboys,” Jaebum said, smiling. “We’ll have security around more.”

 

“So our lives won’t be as private. What if… what if people find out?”

 

“About what? All of us?” Jaebum asked, and then shrugged with Youngjae nodded in confirmation. “They’re going to write fanfics either way. We’ll be careful. It’ll be all right.”

 

* * *

 

After classes the following afternoon, the college kids swung by the house to pick up the younger ones. A company car, as always, took them into the city. Jaebum watched the group as they laughed and talked in the midst of traffic. Everyone looked a little jittery, and a little apprehensive, but they did seem more excited than anything else. 

 

 _This is good,_ he thought to himself, trying not to be too worried about what the contracts entailed.

 

“Welcome!” Mr. Park greeted warmly as the elevator doors slid open. “How are we?”

 

“Good,” Jaebum answered, making sure they hadn’t lost someone in the parking lot, letting the hybrids file out first. “How are you?”

 

“I’m doing well also.” Mr. Park gestured them to his office. “Come. Let’s discuss.” They all sat in the soft couches that were placed in a semicircle across Mr. Park’s desk. Mr. Park took the chair behind it and pulled some papers out of a folder. “So. Let me go over the rates with you. If you want to change them, we can talk about that, and if not, we can move straight on to the concept. It will be 110,000 won per person per shoot. Most of your shoots should be between the hours of 8am and 6pm. If they are outside that range, it will be 55,000 won per extra hour. Also, shoots should be no longer than five hours. Anything beyond that, you will be paid 25,000 per hour, within your normal work hours. Let me give you some examples, since you look a little confused. 

 

"If you were to have a shoot where you had to show up at nine in the morning, and then were dismissed by one in the afternoon, that would be the standard 110,00 won. If you were to show up at seven in the morning, and work until eleven, that would be 165,000 won—110,000 for the shoot alone, and 55,000 extra because you had to show up an hour early. If the shoot were eight in the morning to one in the afternoon, that would be 135,000 won—standard rate, plus the 25,000 for the extra hour. If the shoot were from six in the morning to noon, your pay would come out to be 245,000–110,000 won for the shoot, two bonuses of 55,000 won for the extra two early hours, and 25,000 won for the shoot being an extra hour long. Does that make more sense?”

 

“Yes,” they chorused.

 

“Good. Is there anything about the rates that you would like to change?”

 

The group looked around at one another, shaking their heads.

 

“No,” Mark spoke up. “I think that’s more than fair.”

 

“Wonderful. We just don’t want to overwork you.” Mr. Park set the papers aside and woke his computer. “Now. Onto the concepts. Do you have any ideas? Obviously we don’t want to put Jaebum in a position of power, but I don’t quite feel that using him as the ‘prop’ would be suitable either, especially in your case…”

 

The room was filled with a thoughtful silence. Jaebum glanced around at his hybrids; they seemed to be avoiding his gaze. After a few moments, he made his decision and drew a breath.

 

“How about… how about all of us together,” Jaebum suggested slowly, "as equals. No differences. Just models. Together and sharing this space and sharing this air like it’s meant to be. Things aren’t ever going to change if you just turn the system on its head. And sure, to some humans equality is gonna feel a lot like oppression. But it isn’t. It’s high time hybrids got the same rights and same freedoms as the rest of us. I don’t own these guys any more than they own me. Hybrids are just as much a part of the future as you and me. Maybe even more. The world needs to see that.”

 

Mr. Park looked at him for a moment, and then nodded. “Well said.” His voice was soft. “That sounds great.” He typed up some notes. “I’ll put all of this together and print out a copy for each of you. I’ll need you to sign some documents about payment, working, taxes, and all that. It shouldn’t take too long. Please read through everything—it’s possible I’ve made mistakes and I don’t want you signing away things you don’t mean to.”

 

Everyone took the documents they were handed and for a time the room was filled with the sounds of rustling paper as everyone skimmed the contents, Finally, they all signed and gave the papers back to Mr. Park, who checked them over quickly to make sure everything was in order.

 

“Well!” he said after a moment, setting the papers down. “I believe that’s that. Welcome to the company.”

 

“Thank you,” the seven responded.

 

“I feel like you all need a name.” Mr. Park leaned back in his chair, peering at them contemplatively. “As a group—you know how we have 2PM, and so on…”

 

“There’s seven of us,” Mark pointed out. “And seven is a lucky number, right? Maybe we can do something with that.”

 

“Maybe,” Jaebum agreed. “I was certainly very lucky to meet all of you.”

 

Mr. Park laughed. “I also believe that you will all bring good fortune to this company and to hybrids everywhere.”

 

“We got the luck!” Bambam cheered, grinning.

 

“Hey, how about that?” Mr. Park turned to him. “Got luck—got seven?”

 

“Got Seven?” Jinyoung seemed to be trying it out.

 

“What if you stylized it, so it was the number seven instead of the word?” Yugyeom asked.

 

“And with no space?” Youngjae added, catching on.

 

“Got7,” Mr. Park said slowly. “I kind of like it. It also shows your cohesiveness as a group.”

 

“Yes,” Jackson agreed. “You always got seven with us—seven or never!”

 

Everyone laughed, nodding.

 

“All right,” Mr. Park said firmly. “Got7 it is.” He stood, stacking all the papers. “I’m very glad we made this happen. I’m sure you’re all hungry—why don’t we all go to dinner?”

 

Everyone chorused their agreement and they filed out the door, laughing and talking, making up different ways to say their new name with gestures to go with. Jaebum caught Mr. Park’s eye, and smiled. 

 

“They seem happy,” Mr. Park said, falling into step beside Jaebum as they followed the others down the hall.

 

“Yes,” Jaebum confirmed. “They are. I am too. Thank you, for this.”

 

“Thank you for trusting me. I was afraid… after the whole Jay debacle, that you wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me.”

 

“That wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known,” Jaebum insisted.

 

“Still. I should have told you what happened. Especially when you started getting hybrids, I should have warned you, or something. I’m sorry. I hoped that this might be a way to make it up to you.” Mr. Park spread his hands, gesturing to the space around them.

 

“It’s more than enough. I’m glad they get more freedom, I’m glad they can make their own money. I don’t mind that they were dependent on me—I could have taken care of them for the rest of their lives.” Jaebum rubbed the back of his neck. “But I think it’s good for them to be able to be independent, to have things that are their own, because hybrids don’t really get that. I hope they, and 2PM, can be an example for other hybrids—and humans. I hope we can change things.”

 

“Yes,” Mr. Park murmured, watching as his 2PM boys greeted Jaebum’s hybrids at the entrance to the cafeteria. “I hope so, too.”

 

* * *

 

And so it was. They had dinner with 2PM and Mr. Park—a noisy, rowdy affair, but fun all the same, and then went back home after the sky grew dark. Youngjae came into Jaebum’s room that night just for company, and they fell asleep in each others arms. Downstairs, half the rooms were empty, the other half a little crowded. The house slept, peacefully and happily. Something about this peace felt a little different from the shorter bouts they had previously known. It felt more permanent. Certainly, they would get smacked in the press, certainly their lives would be rocky, but they had faced a lot worse before. Jaebum wasn’t afraid. He knew he and the others could get through anything.

 

* * *

 

_(Mark’s POV)_

At least, most of the house slept.

 

“We have to be quiet,” Jinyoung had whispered in his ear, sneaking up on him as he was about to turn off the last light and slip under the covers. 

 

“I’m tired,” Mark whispered back as a half protest, relaxing his weight into Jinyoung.

 

“I’ll do the work then.” Jinyoung cuddle-walked him to the bed and released him onto it, following after him and carefully maneuvering him into a comfortable position. “Hips up so I can get your pants off, okay?”

 

Mark cooperated, somehow a combination of sleepy and suddenly aroused. “What about you?” he murmured. 

 

“Worry about that later,” Jinyoung said, bending over Mark and pushing his shirt up a little so that he could press a line of kisses down his tummy. Mark closed his eyes, letting his head fall back against the pillows. 

 

And suddenly, Jinyoung pressed his tongue against the slit of the head of Mark’s cock and Mark gasped, eyes opening and hands finding purchase in Jinyoung’s hair.

 

“Jinyoung!” 

 

“Shh.” Mark could hear the smirk in his voice, and he clenched his teeth. “I said we have to be quiet, baby.”

 

“Hate you,” Mark mumbled.

 

“Really?” Jinyoung took Mark’s dick in his mouth this time and Mark slapped both hands over his face to muffle a yelp of surprise. Jinyoung went deeper, gagging softly but not violently, hollowing his cheeks to increase the pressure before popping off with a wet, lewd noise. “You hate me, huh?” He took Mark’s red cock in his hand, pumping it a few times to prove his point. “Doesn’t seem like it."

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Want me to ride you? You won’t have to do a thing. Just lie there,” Jinyoung suggested, reaching for the lube.

 

Mark nodded, staring up at him as he kicked off his own pants and then squirted some lube into his hand to spread over Mark’s dick.

 

“You’re not going to prep yourself first?” Mark asked softly.

 

“I’m ahead of you, sweetie,” Jinyoung murmured, setting the lube aside and reaching behind him to pull some kind of butt plug out of his ass.

 

“Why are you always so… prepared?”

 

“I’m the mom friend, I’m always prepared.”

 

“Let’s not make this familial, that’s weird.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

They quieted as Jinyoung slowly lowered himself over Mark’s dick. Mark wanted to scream but he knew he couldn’t, and still—

 

“Do I need to gag you or something?” Jinyoung asked him, raising an eyebrow, laughter dancing in his eyes.

 

Mark glared at him. “No.”

 

“If you say so.” Jinyoung bottomed out. He paused briefly, and then drew himself up again, and then down. Mark tugged the collar of his shirt over his chin and up to his mouth so that he’d have something to bite down on and let Jinyoung use him. He couldn’t do anything else for his focus on not making noise and disturbing Bambam next door. He closed his eyes and counted his breaths and desperately tried to ignore the waves of heat coursing up and down his limbs.

 

He felt a hand in his hair and became vaguely aware that the movement around his cock had ceased. He moaned softly, opening his eyes to see Jinyoung looking down at him, half in amusement and half in concern.

 

“You okay there?” 

 

“You don’t have to rub it in.”

 

“Just making sure.” Jinyoung curled over to kiss Mark on the nose. “Don’t want to break you.”

 

Mark snorted to mask the little snarl that nearly bubbled up at the movement. “You’re not gonna fuckin’ break me. Move.”

 

“Okay, okay.” Jinyoung resumed his pace and Mark nearly regretted his adamance. But it felt _good,_ so how could he not want it? He settled for that, and reached up to anchor himself on Jinyoung’s hips, digging his fingertips into the fold there. “You trying to leave bruises?” Jinyoung panted out with a grin.

 

“I’m trying to hold on,” Mark replied, and Jinyoung spread his legs wider so that he could bend over closer to Mark, trapping his leaking cock between their bodies. He didn’t seem to mind, only began to rock back and forth while sucking little blemishes into Mark’s chest. Mark ran his fingers down Jinyoung’s back, stretching his neck back to give Jinyoung easier access.

 

Jinyoung bit him, not hard enough to actually hurt, at the soft flesh just above his collarbone. Mark gasped in surprise, and dug his nails into Jinyoung’s back in involuntary retaliation. Jinyoung clenched around him and Mark found himself gasping for breath, scratching up Jinyoung’s back as he felt his orgasm come over him all at once. He shook, hardly aware of something hot and sticky pooling between his and Jinyoung’s stomachs.

 

After a few moments, Jinyoung kissed his jaw and pulled back. “I’ll get something to clean up with,” he whispered, backing away. Mark rubbed his eyes and let Jinyoung wash away the sweat and come with a couple of damp hand towels. When he was finished, he handed Mark his sleep shorts and put his own pajama bottoms back on. “So,” he said quietly, “can I stay?”

 

Mark reached out to him, managing to snag a hold of one of his wrists and wrestling him into the bed beside him. “You had better,” he grumbled, burying his face in Jinyoung’s chest as the other stretched behind him to flick off the light. 

 

“All right,” Jinyoung said, laughing into the still darkness and pressing a kiss to Mark’s head. “I’ll stay.” He wrapped his arms around him and Mark smiled.

 

“Goodnight.”

 

“Goodnight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again!!
> 
> so a few housekeeping things: this fic, plot wise, is coming to a close, but I might do something with it again within the next few months so do keep an eye out. number two, and this is very important: I will not being doing a smut scene in the next chapter, so if you have requested a pairing (or a grouping lol) aside from the ot7 one (i have plans for that... don't worry) and it has not already been done, PLEASE in a comment RESTATE your desired pairing AND add what AU you want it in (this one, a different one, realistic, etc) so that I know how to write it when I begin the oneshot series! If you don't, I will assume that you want it in this universe. Thank you!
> 
> I will also be hopefully setting up one of those 'buy me a coffee' things shortly bc I'm about to start college and any little amount of money will definitely help, so if you have a couple dollars to spare and enjoy my work, it would be lovely if you could donate a little. I'll link it on all of my stories once I have that up and running ^^
> 
> MORE IMPORTANT NEWS: one of my BEST FRIENDS just started writing this chanbaek fic!!! it's a little bit of everything, college!au and it's really well-written, so you can check her out [here!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11422419)
> 
> If you have any more requests (even for another wholeass fic, like some kind of au that you want to see), don't hesitate to comment them below as well!
> 
> and as always, you can find me on my tumblr [here](https://www.taeyeonsholidaynight.tumblr.com/ask). TY!! I love you all!


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO I AM UNSPEAKABLY SORRY PLEASE ENJOY THIS LAST CHAPTER

_(Jaebum’s POV)_

Sunlight hit Jaebum’s face and he groaned, flailing for a pillow to block it out with. He pressed it to his face and frowned slightly. It didn’t smell like his home.

 

_Oh, right._ He removed the pillow from his face and tentatively opened his eyes.  _We’re not at home._

The little room was disconcerting—the head of the bed faced the exact opposite way in relation to the door and the windows as his own room. Jaebum sat up as his confusion washed away with faint memories of his dream. Beyond the windows, soft grassy fields gave way to a short cliff, and past that—the sea, bright and sparkling in the late morning sun.

 

The group was in Hawaii for spring break. They were all a little jet lagged still, but, Jaebum thought as he fumbled for his slippers and stood, stretching, they had plenty of time. Their shoot wasn’t until the afternoon.

 

_I wonder if Jinyoung’s making breakfast_ , Jaebum thought to himself as he fixed his hair in the mirror and brushed his teeth.  _If not, I will_.

 

He wandered down the halls of the vast cabin until he reached the kitchen. Jinyoung was indeed already there, with Yugyeom in tow. Rice was steaming in a pot, and Jinyoung was cooking some kind of meat on the stove.

 

“Good morning,” he greeted, looking up from the pan. 

 

“Good morning,” Jaebum replied, going to the fridge to pour himself a glass of orange juice. “How are we?”

 

“Good,” Yugyeom answered. “Excited for the beach shoot.”

 

“Me too,” Jaebum agreed with a grin. “Do you want a glass?” He nodded to the orange juice bottle in his hand.

 

“Yes please,” Jinyoung and Yugyeom chorused. Jaebum nodded and pulled two more glasses out of the cupboard.

 

“We should probably make coffee,” Yugyeom mused as he took the glass from Jaebum with a grateful smile. “You know Jackson and Mark will want it.”

 

“More like they won’t function without it,” Jinyoung said.

 

“I’ll do it,” Jaebum offered. He pulled the coffee machine out from under the sink and plugged it in, and then grabbed the bag of coffee they had bought at the airport upon arrival. 

 

“Good morning!” It was Bambam, from the doorway. “How did everyone sleep?”

 

“Well,” Jaebum replied. “Do you want coffee?”

 

“I’ll just have orange juice,” Bambam replied, going to the fridge. “But thank you. I think I’ll save the coffee for the grumps—who, coincidentally, are the only three not here yet.”

 

“Hm.” Jinyoung’s tone was thoughtful. “Should we wake them?”

 

“Let’s give them another fifteen or twenty minutes. At least until breakfast is ready,” Jaebum suggested.

 

Soon, the last three members had shuffled into the the kitchen and were slowly dragging their eyelids open over cups of coffee. Bambam and Yugyeom chattered away about what everyone could do before the shoot (“We could go swimming!” “Yeah, and play on the beach!”). Jinyoung leaned over Jaebum’s shoulder as the two pored over the dinner options. (“There’s a luautomorrow night, so we should eat something different today.”)

 

“Okay,” Jaebum finally said, tearing himself away from yet another menu. “It’s gonna be noon before we know it, and we have to go to makeup at five so that we can catch the sunset for the shoot. If we want to do anything, we should start doing it now.”

 

“Beach, beach, beach, beach,” Bambam began chanting.

 

“What about the spa?” Jackson asked.

 

“Beach, beach, beach, beach, beach!” Yugyeom had joined in.

 

“Come on, you middle-aged woman.” Jinyoung nudged Jackson playfully. “We’ll have plenty of time for the spa later. But it’s so nice out today. We should all go to the beach and swim and sunbathe.”

 

“I’m gonna get tan,” Youngjae declared, standing and starting to clear dishes as he gazed out at the water.

 

“Fine, but still protect your skin. Tan is one thing, melanoma is another!” Jaebum reminded him. 

 

“I know,” the bunny hybrid called back over his shoulder, sticking his tongue out for good measure.

 

The boys cleaned up and went to grab swimsuits and towels from their rooms, and met back in the kitchen. Jaebum looked on fondly as the hybrids pushed each other around, laughing and chattering. His hybrids were the lucky few, he knew, but it was also a step in the right direction. They represented a happier future for all hybrids. For now, he technically owned them, but he was hoping that, too, would change—that soon, hybrids wouldn’t need an owner to be even have a shot at being safe and successful—that they could just be their own people, because that’s really what they were: people. 

 

The sand was hot but smooth under his feet as he trailed behind the rest of the group, taking in the wide ocean. The smell of salt and sunscreen hung in the air, mixing with the sweet scent of flowers brought in by the breeze. 

 

The sounds of shouting and splashing brought Jaebum back to his body—the boys had reached the waves and were playing along the shallow shore. 

 

“Come on!” Mark called to him, and Jaebum smiled, dropping his towel and sunglasses with the others’ and jogging down to the water.

 

“Everyone put on sunscreen, right?” he asked as he drew near.

 

“Yes,” Jinyoung replied. “I checked.”

 

“And forced some on me,” Bambam added, frowning good-naturedly. “Thanks, Mom.”

 

“And it was waterproof, so I can do this!” Jinyoung countered, slapping the water so it sprayed up into Bambam’s face.

 

“Hey!”

 

“Who would’ve thought,” Mark said softly from his side, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the glare of the noon sun. 

 

“I know.” Jaebum smiled at him. “Here we are. Happy.”

 

“Yes. And what we’re doing, it’s good, you know?”

 

“Yes,” Jaebum agreed. “I hope it really does make the difference we think it will.”

 

“It will,” Mark reassured him. “People will follow.”

 

“I hope so.”

 

Someone splashed both of them from behind and Jaebum jumped, swallowing back a scream of surprise. The sea water was cool and refreshing, and he turned, laughing, to see a crescent-eyed Jackson behind them. 

 

“Can’t catch me!” the wolf hybrid taunted, staggering away as the waves pushed on him from all sides.

 

“I sure can!” Jaebum replied, going after him, letting the sunlight off the water blind him in his eagerness.

 

* * *

 

“Good, and turn, over your shoulder, to the camera—good, thank you, Jinyoung,” Mr. Park instructed, nodding as Jinyoung shifted positions. “Keep your brows heavy like that, you have power—excellent.”

 

Behind Jinyoung, the sun was beginning its descent, coloring the sky a vibrant orange that was reflected on the water. Golden hour shoots were so much fun because it was impossible for them to look anything but stunning. 

 

Plumeria flowers were scattered at the boys’ feet, some getting stolen away by bigger waves. Behind the cameras, Youngjae and Yugyeom could be found at the mercy of about five makeup artists as they had their makeup touched up. Mark was standing with his hands above his head as member of their wardrobe team brought in the seam of his shirt. Jackson was getting his hair styled. Bambam was at Jaebum’s side, watching Jinyoung’s solo shoot silently.

 

“Nervous?” Jaebum asked him. “You’re on next.”

 

“Nope!” Bambam replied with a pert shake of his head. “I know what I’m doing.”

 

Jaebum laughed. “I’m sure you do.”

 

Solo shoots wrapped quickly, and they did a final group shot in their darker evening clothes as the sun slid behind the horizon. Finally, Mr. Park called a wrap and the boys were bundled in soft robes as their fancy clothing was packed away.

 

“So,” Mr. Park said, strolling over to where Got7 was gathered. “How’s Hawaii treating us? I see some tans.”

 

“Sorry,” Youngjae peeped.

 

“Oh no, it’s quite all right. We’re already breaking so many rules, I think a tan is the last thing people will be worrying about. It’s not like we don’t have a million and one shades of BB cream at our disposal.” Mr. Park smiled. “Just don’t burn—those really hurt.”

 

“Of course,” Youngjae agreed, grinning.

 

“Will you be joining us for dinner?” Jinyoung asked.

 

“Unfortunately, no.” Mr. Park scratched the back of his neck. “I have a call with a possible vendor—some fair-trade silk company. But tomorrow—the luau? I’ll be there.” He shooed them towards the direction of the beach house. “You guys go on now. You’ve worked hard, it’s time for food. Rest well tonight, yes?”

 

“Yes!” they chorused, bowing and walking off. “Thank you! Goodnight!”

 

The group trudged back up the hill to their little house. Jinyoung flicked the lights on as they entered and shook off their slippers. Jaebum felt something gentle within him shift—like something that had been there finally nestled right into place. He frowned a little, and then realized—it was the absence of loneliness. He felt whole, and peaceful, and happy. 

 

“Hey,” he said, and six pairs of eyes looked up. “I’m glad I found you guys.” Six pairs of eyes crinkled into smiles, and Jaebum knew they understood. Everyone felt safe and welcome and at home, and everyone was grateful for it—himself included.

 

“Love you, Jaebum,” Mark said softly, and the other five piped up with similar sentiment.

 

“I love you guys too.” Jaebum smiled wider. “Okay, not to ruin the moment, but I know we all have homework. Jinyoung and I will look over dinner spots—no complaining now, come on. We’ve played all day.”

 

He was met with half-hearted complaints, but they complied, shuffling off to their own rooms. Jinyoung followed him into the living room, raising the blinds as they entered. Outside, the stars were coming out, and the moon, too, rising bright and full and yellow in the early evening over the water. Bugs chirped into the growing darkness, calling out to the soft, changing forces of the world like any other living thing. Jaebum was, too, and the rest of the boys, in their own ways—taking these wisps of life and pulling them in what they hoped was a good direction. And as each day passed, Jaebum grew more sure that it was just that—good, and maybe even great. Maybe even spectacular.

 

Jinyoung opened his laptop and they began their search for dinner spots. Jaebum watch Jinyoung intermittently, finding new fascination in the curl of his eyelashes, the gentleness of his breath—good, great, spectacular. 

 

Only time would tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so! A two and a half year long journey (extended by yours truly fnsndkfjd) has finally come to a close. If you haven't seen your pairing yet, fear not! the oneshot series is right around the corner, so please stay tuned for that. if you like my writing style, do feel free to check out my other works.
> 
> Thank you for coming with me on this road--this was my first fic I was brave enough to publish and the overwhelmingly positive response I received encouraged me to write and publish more. Thank you to all of you, but most importantly to my first few readers and commenters who helped me keep going. Thank you again for your never-ending patience and support. I truly, truly could not have done this without all of you, and I love you all dearly for it.
> 
> Also, as mentioned, I have set up a buy me a coffee. I do not (!!) expect any of you to give me anything. If you can't spare anything or don't have a way to contribute or whatever other reason--it is okay. I get it, and honestly all I need are kind readers, which is what I already have a plethora of. That being said, if you DO have 3 bucks to spare, I would really appreciate it if you would. I am a struggling college student who runs on caffeine and love from friends she wants to spoil. You can Buy Me a Coffee [here](https://ko-fi.com/N4N47MXU)!
> 
> And as always, my [Tumblr](https://www.exo-ot9stan.tumblr.com/ask) is open for messages, requests, yells, life advice, anything!


End file.
